


Accidental Time traveler's boyfriend (but you didn't see it coming)

by Microsoftberry



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 10-year-old Len, 14-year-old Len, Barry was so going to hunt down Rip Hunter and make him pay, Bottom Barry, F/M, Fluff, He was now left with a 10 year old version of his boyfriend and he had no idea what to do, M/M, Top Len, and Barry meets all of them, and many other Lens appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2018-07-22 13:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 57
Words: 74,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7440250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Microsoftberry/pseuds/Microsoftberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rip Hunter brought Len to Barry, but there's a slight problem, it's Len's 10-year-old version. Barry was going to kill Rip, he was going to hunt him down and murder the time traveler with his bare hands. Just after he managed to keep a pair of 10-year-old Snarts safe from the threats and themselves.<br/>RIP(aka Barry's soon-to-be victim of a horrible payback) has told Barry that he couldn't tell young version of Len any information about his future, but this was just a onetime thing, and young Len was NOT looking at Barry in a funny way, so what could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How RIP got on to Barry's murder list

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't tagged 'underage' because i'm just planning to write Len's (kind of) cute crush stuffs and no smut while he's under 20, but this is the first time I'm writing pairings that one of them starts from under 20 so if I'm breaking any rules please let me know and I'll fix them as fast as I can.

"So I've got something for you, Barry." Rip said, his face somehow more cryptic than usual.

Barry was squinting at him, because Rip rarely dropped by, let alone just to bring him a gift, they're not that cozy by the way. And by any nervous silence that were Cisco, Caitlin and Iris in Starlabs who were getting feeds from the nearby CCTVs to watch two of them on the streets, his friends didn't buy Rip's words that easily too.

"And this just couldn't wait?" Barry shouted as he ducked to avoid blue and white beams that the meta-woman was throwing at him, barely missing him because Barry was busy glaring at Rip.

"Well.. it was kind of an emergency case, Barry." Rip said, also ducking from the blue rays and shouting back at him. The meta screamed, her blue energy blasting from her skin and temporarily freezing everything within her 50 feet radius. Barry gestured him to wait and tapped his earpiece.

"Hold on a second. Guys, we could really use some help," Barry said, and Cisco yelled "hold on!" while Barry ducked another blast of blue rays and ran to the car right next to where Rip was hiding.

"What did you do?" Barry asked, more suspiciously than he meant to, because Rip was now purposefully avoiding making eye contact with him.  
Barry narrowed his eyes at the man. Something was definitely up...

"And where is my boyfriend? Did you really come alone to give me something and Len couldn't make it?" Barry yelled above the shrieks of the meta-woman.

"Well, about that..." Rip said, and this time Barry saw the man shoot his eyes anywhere but at Barry's face, and Barry was just about to grab the man and shake him yelling 'what did you do?!' manically just before someone's face poked out from behind Rip.  
Someone's little, young, very young face, he couldn't be no more than 12, which was so much familiar to Barry.  
But...but.... No, it can't be.

"Len?"

Barry said without thinking and he knew he now looked like a gaping fish but he couldn't help dropping his jaws at the face that appeared behind Rip. And the boy raised his one eyebrow at the name and oh god, even the gesture was so identical to Len. And now Barry was determined to glare daggers at Rip but couldn't, because he couldn't take his eyes off this little version of his boyfriend.  
Icy blue eyes penetrating and glinting with humor, but these eyes were so much bigger, so much rounder than the ones that Barry remembered, and they looked so innocent despite the devilish smile on his face. And how can a 10-year-old manage to fit that wolfish smile so perfectly?

"How do you know my name?" Len, no, this somehow identical-looking mini-version of Barry's boyfriend kid asked, looking curiously at Barry(currently the Flash). And before Barry could shout-scream-yell something, Rip ran toward him and covered Barry's mouth.

"You can't, Barry. He's doesn't know about his future yet, he's 10 years old." Rip whispered fiercely, finally looking into Barry's eyes and Barry couldn't help huffing out a laughter. Oh really? He didn't notice that there was a mini version of an exact replica of his boyfriend until then.

"Is he.. is he really Len? what.. How? What happened?" Barry tore the man's hand from his face, glaring at Rip because this was way beyond the usual mess that Rip brought him, and he couldn't even yell at him.

Rip seemed to fully understand the speedster's unspoken rage (and the danger he himself was in right now, facing the wrath of the fully seething speedster), because instead of trying to approach Barry too closely, he covered little Len's ears with his hands and said, "He's technically not your Len. He is Leonard when he was 10 years old, we had to pull him out of his timeline because Vandal Savage sent one of his killers to eliminate him."

"What?" Barry hissed, at the same time Cisco's voice in his earpiece yelled 'O-ho, Vandal Savage tried terminating Captain Cold from the future, that is so cool!' which was quickly followed by angry yells('Cisco!') from the girls in the labs.  
Barry shook his head at the noise in the coms and looked at the little boy again, who was now squirming to get away from Rip's grips and free his ears to listen to the adults talking hysterically about him.  
Barry just couldn't help himself from staring. This was his boyfriend's 10-year-old self, and Barry could now see exactly how identical the expression on his face was to his boyfriend, how the boy's eyes narrowed and how he crunched up his eyebrows, how he meticulously tried to slither away from the adult's grip to free himself.  
... Wow. This really was Len.

"We're currently nearing the location of the killer in his timeline, so meanwhile, we need you to take care of him while we, including your present boyfriend, take care of things. In the other end of timeline." Rip said, carefully gauging the rage level of the speedster in front of him. Barry blinked.

"What? For how long?"

Rip shrugged.

"It won't take longer than a week."

"A week?" Barry stepped in front of the man and Rip backed away quickly, in suspicious timing while he put little Len between himself and Barry. He shot Barry a pleading look while the boy stared curiously at the leather-clad hero in front of him.

"He's your.." Rip said, looking down at Len and carefully picking his words in front of the boy, "... key person in the future of your city, Barry. You can take care of them for a few weeks, right?" Rip said, and Barry growled. He actually growled at the man.

"Oh, it's weeks now?" Then Barry stopped. "Wait, what do you mean, 'them'?" Barry said, and then another figure jumped out from nowhere, (where did they keep popping up from?), laughing and hugging Barry's waist. Wait, what??

"You're so skinny!" The little girl chirped brightly, and Barry gaped down at the little girl dangling in his waist because, Barry knew that voice. He had woken up to that voice many mornings when he crashed at his boyfriend's house while she mercilessly teased them with so much creative sexual innuendos and Barry loved, feared, knew that voice because-

"It's Lisa. My sister." Little Len said, his voice drawling with visible amusement now, seeing his sister making the speedster absolutely stunned and rooted to the spot.  
Barry gawked at the two little menaces.

"Couldn't keep her away from him, Len was very insistent that he brought her with him too if a time-traveling murderer was out to get him." Rip said, his voice was getting fearful because Barry was now definitely looking at him like a fucking carnivore.

"You..." Barry said, stepping toward Rip now, with still Lisa dangling at his waist but it didn't help Rip from flinching and backing away in absolute terror in his face.

"You.. came here.. with these two 10 year olds..." Barry's voice was scary, voice almost sweet and terrifying from the gritted teeth and he heard Cisco yelp from somewhere....

"Barry, I'm fully aware what you're feeling right now, but listen---"

"And dropped them in the middle of a battlefield where there's a dangerous, ice-fielding meta??" Barry yelled, and that was when Cisco's voice made this 'Oh! Right! Evil icing meta-lady!' yelp and the meta-woman was yelling 'Thank you! Thank you for noticing! I've been waiting forever! Finally!' at them(which was really kind of sweet if you think about it, because she was pausing while Barry was facing a major life crisis involving two innocent kids)

Rip quickly reached inside his pocket and some weirdly glittering forcefield wrapped him up instantly. Rip looked half invisible now, but Barry could still see the terror in the man's eyes.

"Barry, I'm really, terribly sorry but it will just take a little while. Meanwhile, don't slip away any future knowledge to them, don't get them killed, and we'll be back in no time to pick them up. Okay?"

And then Rip was gone. He was gone and oh Barry was so going to hunt him down, he was the fastest man alive in multiple universes and he would hunt him down and make him beg----  
And then suddenly the face of Rip appeared out of thin air, making both kids yelp and jump behind Barry. Barry stared at the face in the air and the face added as an afterthought, "Oh, and you can bill me the damages when we get back. They do make quite a little hazards." and then disappeared. Again.

"... ...."

There was silence, even in Barry's comms, while two pair of little hands grabbed what they could of the tight leather of the speedster and looked up at him. One pair of icy blue eyes and another pair of brown with slight golden glitters. It just made everything so worse and okay at the same time that Barry could just stare at them.

"So... what now? Seems like you're left stuck with us."

Len said, and Barry, despite the silently sworn oath to hunt one time traveler down and make him see hell, managed to calm down, and then kneel down to match their eye level and smile. Because Barry could see the uneasiness and slight fear of being left alone with a complete stranger in their eyes, no matter how well their carefully masked expression hid them. Barry knew about his boyfriend and Lisa's past, and he couldn't let them feel unwanted and unsafe again, not when Barry was around to help it.  
So Barry smiled and they visibly relaxed when they saw his goofy smile.

"No, you're really stuck with me, and we're going to make the most of it while we plan Rip's funeral until he comes back." Barry said sweetly, and little Len, no, Len smirked at him. Again, how could a 10-year-old smirk that perfectly?

"You're a weird one, Scarlet."

Barry's heart jumped but he soon realized Len was pointing out his red outfit, so he smiled more goofily. Barry knew that future Len and Lisa loved his smile, no matter what they said. Now both Len and Lisa were watching him as if he was a funny thing, though Barry could see their lips itching to smile.

"You have no idea, kids." Barry said, and this could go way smoother than he thought. (He was wrong)


	2. Meet the little Snarts

Cisco was staring at the little boy who was glaring up at him, with eye size that could shame a pair of saucers.

"No. My. God." Cisco whispered. Barry tried to stop him.

"Wait, Cisco,"  
"He's Capt-"  
"Len. Len Snart." Barry quickly interrupted, and when Cisco's face slowly turned into this huge splitting smile, he sighed.

"But he's so small! No way!"

Len's eyebrow was crooking in a dangerous angle(Barry still didn't know how a 10 year old could master that perfect look of disapproval) and Barry grabbed his friend out of childrens' earshot before there was any bloodbath(possibly of his friend's).

"Is he even real?" Cisco said when Caitlin and Iris joined their corner and while they watched two little Snarts starting to wander around and poking around the labs. Barry nodded.

"Yes, he really is Len, but he is his 10-year-old self, he doesn't know about his future, he doesn't know what he becomes, who we are, or what our relationship will become." Barry explained.

"RIP just kidnapped them here and dumped them?" Caitlin whispered indignantly and Barry shrugged.

"Basically. He gave theme the most basic facts. That they were being hunted by a time traveling assassins, and his older self and his crew was finding ways to stop them and come back to bring them home again." Barry said.

"He told a pair of 8-year-old and a 10-year-old that they were being hunted by dangerous assassins?" Iris said incredulously and Barry nodded. RIP was ruthlessly practical and they didn't spare the kids any illusions of false safety.

"They seem really calm considering they know there's somebody out there to get them." Cisco muttered, looking over at the kids and Barry had no words.  
He knew Lewis Snart was a brutal man and both the siblings had to be smart and grow up way before their age, learning to keep calm and calculating even in the face of horrible situations that would make most of the kids in their age scream and run for their parents. And it made his inside churn every time he was reminded of that fact.  
Iris saw the look on Barry's face and quickly changed the subject.

"So he's technically not Captain Cold right now," Iris said,

"Yes, he's just a little kid." Barry nodded.

"But he will grow and become him one day, right?" Caitlin asked,

"Yes." Barry nodded again.

"So there's currently TWO Len Snart in our universe? Your present boyfriend, the adult one, is out there somewhere?", Cisco asked.

"Yeeees." Barry answered drawing out his words because frankly this all things made him want to shove his head into the pillow and not hear or see anything or anyone for another good 24 hours.

"Are you having a meltdown already Scarlet? And I thought you promised to take care of little us." It was Len's voice that turned everybody's head. And there he was, the little Len, with smirk exact replica of his older self and people stared.

"Wow." Caitlin and Iris whispered in unison and Cisco nodded.

"I know, right?" Cisco said and they were all looking at little Len in awe, and they all noticed however this version of Captain Cold was so much smaller and (relatively) looking harmless, the way his eyes trained on Barry like he was the only interesting person worth paying attention to in the room was scarily uncanny with his older self.

"It's both sweet and scary at the same time." Cisco whispered and girls nodded.

"So, what are we going to do?" Iris asked after Barry kind of shooed him away to play with his sister and Len gave Barry a very sardonic sneer before he left. It was so adorable and annoying at the same time.  
Barry shrugged when he was well out of earshot.

"Keep them alive. Wait for Rip to get back. Plan Rip's murder." Barry said.

"Wait, what?" Caitlin said and Barry smiled innocently. Caitlin gave him this suspicious look and Cisco and Iris snickered behind them.

"Really, all jokes aside, we really should have some plans for this, though." Caitlin said and Barry nodded.

"Rip said it was important to not let this interrupt with timeline too much and I believe he's right. Timeline can be tricky and if this goes south, who knows what it will bring us in the future."

"So, we may have to set some ground rules here." Iris said, "No future talking. No telling who they're going to be."

"Or who they're going to be dating," Caitlin said and everybody looked at her. Caitlin blinked and looked around like she couldn't understand how oblivious they were.

"What? It's kind of a big deal and the knowledge that they're going to date," (she dropped her voice to whisper) "the simple knowledge about you guys dating them in the future can seriously impact their feelings for you in the present." Caitlin said and Cisco and Barry exchanged glances. Yes they knew this thing could be tricky but it just hit them how they've already twisted their timeline by just being with their future love of their life.

"I am so not ready for this," Cisco muttered and Barry couldn't agree more.


	3. 10 year olds can't rob you (or can they?)

"You can't play pokers." Cisco said, when Lisa and Len brought a pack of cards to him and Caitlin in the lab. Caitlin looked amused and Cisco huffed out laugh at the little kids before them.

"... Can you?" Cisco added, a little uncertain at the pair of sparking eyes in front of him.

Len smiled innocently. 'Huh.' Cisco thought. Even Captain Cold was innocent and adorable when he was young.

Those were the words that he'd ever thought he'd used to describe Captain Cold but, well.  
Cisco totally missed the way Len and Lisa exchange quick looks before he pulled himself out of his thoughts.

"Okay. Let's play," Cisco said."But we'll go easy on you guys."

"Oooh, thanks. That's so nice of you," Lisa smiled, and her smile was so sweet that it just melted Cisco's and Caitlin's heart. They totally missed Len smirk and flip the cards in one fluid (too professional) motion too.  
Cisco and Caitlin sat down on the table where two Snarts were smiling at the adults.

"Okay, here we go-" Caitlin said, passing out the cards while still trying to hold back smile when she saw the little hands holding the cards the size of their hands.  
After all, how bad can this get when they were so innocent and little?  
And the game began.

 

 

 

When Barry and Iris came back to the lab with burgers for everyone in their hands, they made sure that they came back to the right place.  
Barry blinked as he looked around.

"...What happened here?" Iris said, when she blinked several times to make sure that this was the place she left only a quarter of a day ago.

The place was empty, really empty and the monitors and equipment were gone, there were just some papers rolling around on the empty floor and "Was this place robbed?" Barry said, his voice too squeaky as he looked around."What the hell happened here?"

"Your future boyfriend happened. That's what." Cisco whispered furiously, appearing from behind the wall and his eyes looked alarmingly sunken.  
Barry gaped at him. Because,

"Cisco, where's your pants?"

Cisco was in his boxers only and Iris burst out laughter and quickly turned her head for his sake. Cisco fumbled furiously before Barry grabbed a lab pants from the drawers and tossed it to him.  
Cisco quickly put them on while Barry and Iris tried not to laugh too hard.

"What-" Barry said,"...Were you robbed?"

Iris was looking at Cisco in an alarmed way too. Cisco was holding himself in his arms and shivering.

"Yes, by your future boyfriend."

"He's 10 years old." Barry said, still shocked."He can't rob you. He's half your size."

"Oh, oh, yes he can, Barry," Cisco said,"and your boyfriend can hustle when he's 10 years old and he robbed us of our clothes, money, our dignity, and pretty much everything."

Barry opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. He had no words and Iris quickly stepped up.

"Speaking of, where's Caitlin?"

"She's here!" Lisa's voice said from behind the desk and three people peered behind it to look at Caitlin and the little Snarts.

"Oh my god." Iris said and quickly covered her mouth.

Caitlin was with braided hair, which were decorated with golden star strings and pins and every golden things you could think of.  
It was pretty, though the sparkle alone made it hard to look straight at it.

"Wow." Barry said, and Lisa smiled proudly,

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

Iris nudged him so he barely nodded in time.

"Yes, yes it's very pretty."

Cisco was making this weird sound between shocked yelp and laughter and Caitlin glared at him. But Cisco seemed to have recovered fully when he saw Caitlin in her glittering misery.  
Len was sitting next to Lisa, his face carefully neutral but Barry could clearly see how smug he looked.

"I can't even open my eyes. They are so shiny it's blinding." Caitlin whispered in Barry's ears when she pulled him by his arms and when she let him go, she smiled at Lisa and said,"Thanks so much for your work honey, this is really pretty."

Lisa smiled happily at her.

"It's so pretty in fact, we have to take pictures to commemorate it." Cisco said, exchanging looks with Barry and they all gathered quickly beside Caitlin and Lisa.  
Caitlin was glaring at both Barry and Cisco but Barry was already standing there in front of them holding the camera.

"Okay everybody, on the count of three,"

"Aren't you going to be in the picture?" Lisa asked, and Len looked confused for a second too. Then he met Barry's eyes, and Barry knew that Len got it.  
Len smirked like he got Barry's joke and Barry smiled too. Smart. And smug. Definitely Len.

"I am." Barry said to Lisa, and her eyes shone with curiosity and joy.

"Everybody smile," Barry said, "Three, two, one."

Barry took the picture with his friends and quickly returned to catch the camera in the air. Everybody rushed to him to check the picture.

"This is so going on my instagram." Cisco said and Barry laughed but he had to admit that it really was a nice picture.

"I still can't believe that you two got robbed by a pair of teenage kids." Barry said, couldn't help but taunting his friends and Iris was smiling next to him too.

"You two are geniuses, right? You two would have combined IQ of over 300 together or something." Iris said, and Cisco and Caitlin quickly exchanged glances. Then Cisco looked at Len over Barry's shoulder and Len gave him a subtle nod.

"If you two think that you are so smart, why don't you two take them yourselves?" Cisco said.

Barry blinked and smiled, turning around to look at two Snarts who innocently fumbled with the cards on the table. Iris stood next to Barry, bumping her shoulder to Barry's and smiled too.

"Okay, we'll bite. But we should tell you, Barry here and I used to own poker games in college and we won't cut you any slack because you kids are cute and adorable." said Iris.

"Now I feel obligated to tell you that I have played pokers with your older self many times, kids," Barry said, as he said he watched the smug looks on both Snarts waver for the first time,"Not to mention that I did have kicked your asses many times playing poker too."

He saw Len and Lisa quickly exchange nervous glances. Barry had to bite back smile because no matter how smart the kids are, they were still kids and still very much adorable.

Barry wasn't lying, he knew every tells of Len's in poker from their many nights of playing games and he had beaten Len ruthlessly so many times, and had gloated over how almighty Captain Cold couldn't win poker games with the Flash. Barry had danced victory dances that Len called ridiculous but couldn't wipe his smile off his face.  
Barry liked that stupid smile on Len's face and that was why Barry liked to beat Len in poker so much too.

"If you're so sure that you're going to win," Len said, popping Barry's happy memories and bringing him back to present, ".. Care to make this more interesting?"  
Barry looked at Len and grinned.

"Bring it."

 

 

 

After one hour passed, Iris was looking at the kids in absolute horror that was not too different from Cisco's an hour ago and Barry was so going to kill his boyfriend when he returns from his timeline. Barry couldn't believe that every tells of Len's face that Barry's grown accustomed to for the past two years were pure decoy and Len was just humoring him. God, Len was so going to pay for this.

Len was lazily flipping the cards in a flawless motion that was way skilled for a 10 year old. Iris and Barry were looking at that fluid motion in utter mortification.

"I can't believe this," Barry muttered, still recovering from the shock. Lisa was already fiddling with Iris's hair with another mountains of gold accessories and Iris's eyes cried for help but nobody could save her. Only Caitlin gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Okay, so that's settled then. As decided for the prize," Len said, still smiling too perfectly and too much like a Cheshire cat for Barry's liking.

"We're going ice skating."

Barry made incomprehensible noise and buried his face in his palms.


	4. They go ice-skating and Barry falls, a lot.

Speed and Cold don't mix.  
Barry and Ice don't get along.  
And he was standing right in the middle of the ridiculously huge ice rink, looking like the definition of helplessness and feeling like one too. 

"You need to move, Barry! Skate!" Iris yelled, and somewhere next to her Cisco's burst out laughter, Barry knew that his pathetic attempt to stay alive on this death rink was being filmed by the engineer because that much was obvious.  
Barry also thought there was an encouraging(sympathetic) pat on the shoulder by Caitlin who just skated by. Or by a complete stranger woman who looked like her anyway, because Barry couldn't tear his eyes off the ground because he was desperately trying to balance himself. 

He knew he had a terrible, if any athletic sense and it was almost a miracle that Barry managed to stand for this long without falling. Again. If again meant like a zillion times. Even with the speed healing there was a limit to a number of times a speedster can fall on his ass and get laughed at by a bunch of total strangers, thank you very much. 

"You're like the worst skater I've ever seen!" Lisa giggled happily when she skated toward him and hugged his waist and Barry yelped when it almost toppled him over. However Lisa was an excellent skater and he did not so subtly hang on for a little girl half his size without shame. He did NOT want to fall down. Again. 

"You can't cling on to my sister forever Scarlet," Then came another Snart, who was flawless and effortless on his skates because obviously, it was Len and he was that way even when he was 10 and in ice skate. 

"You guys are evil and when I reach the solid ground, I'm never stepping on another ice again." Barry yelled and then remembered what his boyfriend did for a living when he's not on the WaveRider, which most of the time involved making Barry slip on ice, fall on ice, avoid being iced, and then felt even more depressed. 

"Kids, do you want some hot chocolate?" Iris called from somewhere over the fence and Lisa's eye brightened. 

"Yes!" She chirped and quickly turned around, making Barry's outstretched arms fly out desperately to gain balance and he did not shout pathetically 'no, no, Lisa, please don't go!' before the girl took off. 

There was four horrible seconds of stumbling before Barry's body finally gave up and he fell on his ass. Again. 

He heard laughters and didn't bother trying to get up quickly this time. He felt miserable and helpless and several little kids(and a few adults) who got bored of their skating were watching Barry in interest and Barry covered his face with his palms. 

"Scarlet." 

Barry peered between his fingers and saw a little hand stretched toward him. He peered a little more and saw Len's smiling face at him. 

"Get up. I'll teach you how to skate."

"You're ten years old." Barry said, earning him yet another perfect raise of an eyebrow, 

"So?" Len asked and Barry had to smile because it was such a familiar tone of confidence and easiness. Barry smiled. 

"You saw me fall for like hundred times, right?"

Len smirked at that. 

"You fell like thousand times and you're like a baby giraffe in skates", (Barry glared at him), "but I can teach you." 

Len smiled. 

"You're the worst." Barry muttered but he took Len's hand anyway. 

"You can fall. Actually that's the best way to learn how to skate." Len said and Barry looked at Len curiously.

"You've taught skating to someone before?"

"Lisa." Len said and there was this proud look on his little face that Barry kind of melted inside. 

"I taught her the first time she skated. And it's okay to fall because you can always get up, brush it off and start again." 

"Huh." Barry felt his face splitting into a huge smile because he couldn't have helped it if he tried. 

"Okay, you can teach me." Barry said feigning resign and Len smirked and started his lesson. 

Spectators were watching in open curiousness and Barry felt kind of self conscious but turned out, Len was a surprisingly excellent teacher. 

By the end of the lesson (and 7 times of yet another falling) Barry was actually skating (slowly) along the rink with other normal people and the kids who watched and laughed as he practiced were actually cheering as he made a full circle around the rink. 

Cisco and Caitlin were cheering from the fence and Iris and Lisa were clapping and shouting delightedly with a bunch of kids and strangers. 

"Thank you, thank you very much." Barry was bowing and waving hand to the cheering little kids and Len was laughing too, his smile fully bright and the sight made Barry so happy that Barry couldn't help but smile goofily at him too. 

It was the first time that he saw Len and Lisa smile like kids their age, forgetting to put on their masks and just laugh like kids should, without a care in the world. 

"You can skate now!" Lisa squealed and came skating toward him, almost toppling Barry over again but this time Barry managed to hold his ground and catch her.  
Lisa giggled when he picked her and Len up, though Len tried to escape but this once Barry was faster. 

"You're going to fall again Scarlet." Len said, though he was grinning when Barry swirled around and the kids grabbed Barry's neck and head for their dear lives. 

"Yes, but it's okay because I can always get up, brush it off and start trembling on ice again." Barry said and Len smirked and Cisco who was sliding by looked at them like they were crazy. It only made their manic grin wider. 

Barry skated with both kids on his arms and swirled around more times, and screamed "You're blocking my sight! Hands off my fac-mphgh!!" when Lisa squealed and accidentally grabbed at his face instead of clinging to his neck. 

Barry did fall on his butts many times after that day, but it really was okay and it was the best time he had on ice for a long time.


	5. 4 years and 6 weeks

A meta made Barry catch a cold. 

Because seriously, of all the sickness that the ill-producing meta could give the Flash, it had to be cold.  
Barry tried not to read to much into it. 

Barry had a vertigo, which took him a full day to recover from and he was ordered to stay in the labs by pissed Caitlin. Barry tried to sneak off to go to work once and was so easily captured(found) by Cisco who was on his way to get the burgers. Cisco had found the speedster in the hall, spread on the floor half unconscious and dragged Barry back in. 

Caitlin threatened to handcuff him to the bed if he tried that again, so here he was, half the time sleeping and half the time sneezing and coughing miserably when he was awake. And also, Caitlin made a mean cough syrup which he suspected could have tasted better but she was in no mood to humor the ex-escapee speedster. 

This time when Barry awoke he quickly pretended to be asleep because he knew Caitlin would force another syrup and fluid on him. But the plan failed when the Snarts immediately found out that Barry was awake, thus in turn alerting Caitlin. 

"Barry! You're awake! Cait-"

"Lisa, Shhhhshsh!!" Barry was whispering desperately when Caitlin showed up with yet another cup of syrup, and he looked at the two little kids in utter betrayal. 

Cisco was munching a burger and was leaning against the wall next to Len, smiling and watching everything with utmost glee that Barry didn't approve. 

Len was smirking when he met Barry's eyes, and Cisco and Len looked at each other and then turned to Barry with an equal smirk, though it looked perfect on Len's face but looked just goofy on Cisco's. 

"Damn. How do you do that?" Cisco turned and asked the kid when Barry pointed it out, and Len shrugged with yet another smirk. Cisco turned and looked at Barry, and Barry laughed, and swayed like deflating balloon which earned another (painful) pat on the shoulder by Caitlin. 

"Drink this, lie down, and do not think about escaping again because I was not kidding about handcuffs." Caitlin said, and she actually put down a clunk of metal on the table next to bed. 

"Where did you get that?" Cisco gaped at her and if Barry wasn't mistaken Caitlin's face turned slightly red before Len rescued her. He picked it up, took one look at it and shrugged. 

"Don't worry, I'll teach you how to pick it, Scarlet." Len said, and while Cisco and Caitlin gaped at him, it was Barry's words that made them gape even more. 

"Thanks, but I know how to pick them too." Barry said reflexively and it was a beat late when he realized he made a mistake. 

"How?" Cisco and Caitlin were asking at the same time, Lisa squealed delightedly and said"'I knew you were awesome!" and even Len's eyes were huge, looking at Barry like he had grown two heads. Barry flustered. 

"My boyfriend, L-"

Barry abruptly halted for a 1/100 second because he almost said right there 'Len', and quickly used his speed to come up with a save,"-Loves to do stuffs like that. Lock picking is his hobby." 

He knew from the looks on his friends' face that it was a close one. 

"That's so cool!" Lisa said at the same time Len asked in a loud voice,"You have a boyfriend?"

Everybody looked at Len and the boy quickly gained his cool, though his sister was looking at him like she just spotted a gold mine and smiled at her brother with too perfect smirk. Seriously, the smile had to be patented by the family or something. 

"Whatever," Len said, with a gesture that said 'I don't care' and even Caitlin giggled soundlessly behind the boy because it was just too adorable. 

"Who is your boyfriend?" Len asked, seeming not quite able to hold himself back."What's his name?"

His expression carefully neutral but his eyes darted to Barry's face and Barry felt kind of trapped being asked that question by his 10 year old version of his actual boyfriend. 

"He's.." Barry trailed, desperately buying time to look at his friends for help but Cisco and Caitlin looked just as helpless and they made some very unhelpful hand gestures. So Barry said,"...Cold. We call him Cold."

"Your boyfriend's name is Cold?" Lisa chirped and both Snarts looked so not impressed. Barry bit back a smile and said,"He likes that name so yeah, I call him that." 

"But's that a stupid name." Lisa said and Len was nodding too. Cisco almost lost it there but Caitlin furiously stomped on his feet so that Cisco did not burst out screaming 'but that's yooouuu!!!' while pointing his finger at Len. 

"How come he know how to pick locks?" Lisa asked again,"Is he a thief like us?" 

"You're not thieves." Barry said automatically, flinching because he felt sudden pang in his heart. 

He looked at Lisa, and then Len but both Snarts seemed not to be bothered which made it worse. 

"You're not thieves." Barry said again but Lisa smiled and Len just shrugged. 

"Our dad is a dirty cop and a thief and a murderer, and he always tells us what we're going to be. He told us that we're Snarts and there's no better things that could come out of us, that we're going to be thieves and murderers too."

Barry shook his head and knelt down to meet their eye levels, pulling both kids toward him. When Lisa and finally Len too met his eyes, Barry had to breathe deep because this was hurting, more hurting than the anger he was feeling right now toward their horrible father. Who dared to put these looks on these little kids, who told these beautiful kids that they're going to be something horrible and terrifying as the man who broke their childhood. 

Barry bit his lips, took deep breaths, and looked both kids in the eyes and said, 

"No one can tell you what to become, and no one can ever, ever decide what you're going to be." 

He said that, while looking both kids in the eyes until they finally met his gaze and they in turn looked deep inside Barry's for a hint of doubt or mistrust hidden somewhere. 

When they found none, they nodded so slightly that it was barely a tremble but they grabbed Barry's hands with their tiny hands and Barry smiled. 

Len was still holding Barry's hand when he whispered, 

"You said you know us in our future, that this is present for you with our future-selves." 

Barry nodded.  
Len gulped, and asked, 

"But could you tell us what we're like? How you think of our future-selves?"

Barry smiled after a thought. 

"You're amazing people that I'm lucky to be friends with." Barry said,"kind of tricky and devious sometimes because you two are brilliant and smart, but you two are some of my most trusted friends and family." 

"I want to be that person soon, but I'm only 8 years old." Lisa said, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed, 

"When can I grow up and be that person? It takes too long and I've only grown an inch since last year, I just don't want to be a kid anymore, it's stupid." 

Lisa's face was crunching up like she was going to cry and Barry quickly thought and said, 

"Hey, you wanna see something cool?"

To that both kids' eyes brightened. Lisa sniffled and asked, yes? to which Barry smiled hugely. 

"Here. Count from 5 to 1."

Len and Lisa exchanged looks and they started counting, to which Barry zipped to reach the computer, search the word that he remembered that could help with this situation and ran out of the Starlabs and came back in a flash. 

"- One." The kids said as Barry zipped back to where he was standing. 

The kids were looking at him with expectant eyes, and when he proudly presented the thing that he brought with a"ta-dah!", both kids and adults back there craned their necks to figure out what Barry had brought them. 

Barry smiled eagerly as he showed them the little pot that he held, with a small pointy leaf that was half the size of a pinky was poking out from the soil. 

"... What is this?" Cisco asked instead of the silent kids and Barry smiled and said, 

"It's a Moso Bamboo." Barry said, and the skeptical looks that he got from four people got only bigger. 

"How do you even know what that is?" Cisco asked, and Barry thought for a moment and grinned. 

"Actually, my boyfriend had told me about this." 

"Your boyfriend." Len deadpanned."You mean Cold."

"Yes," Barry answered, trying hard to keep a neutral face at the little boy. 

"Why did you bring this here, Barry?" Caitlin asked, carefully as though she thought Barry had suddenly lost his mind, and Barry smiled sheepishly. 

"Cold once told me about this thing a few years ago, this is the bamboo that the Chinese grew on their soil." 

"Ookay," Cisco said, nodding slowly like Caitlin and squinting at the little plant in the little pot with dripping skepticism. 

"This, as you see, is a bunch of little leaf when you first plant them. In 4 full years, they grow into a maximum of----" Barry waited, and kids eyes brightened. 

"30 feet!" Lisa chirped, and Len said,"... 50 feet?"

Barry shook his head, laughing and said,"Guess again."

"60 feet?" Caitlin said uncertainly, and Cisco yelled"I know, I know, 100 feet!"

And when all people looked back at Barry with hopeful expectations on their faces, Barry laughed and said, 

"After 4 years, they grow to full height of 1 or 2 inches."

"You mean 1 or 2 feet." Len said, 

"Nope," Barry grinned and shook his head. 

The Snart kids actually glared at him. 

"Barry," Cisco whispered over Len and Lisa's heads,"I don't think you're making a convincing point as you think you are."

Barry resisted rolling his eyes. 

"They don't grow tall for four years because for the first few years in their lives, they duck, and grow into the ground. They plant their roots deeper, their roots go hundres of square feet below the ground."

When they all stared at him, Barry grinned and put the pot on the table. 

"Okay, this time, you guys all close your eyes," Barry said, and when four people reluctantly closed their eyes, Barry smiled and said, 

"Count from 10." And Barry ran. 

 

 

 

"- ... 3, 2, 1." 

Everybody stopped counting and none of them opened their eyes. They heard Barry's laugh and heard him say, 

"It's okay, open your eyes." 

They slowly opened their eyes and found themselves surrounded by a sea of greens of forest. 

"Wha- What??" Cisco yelped, while Caitlin looked around bewildered and Len and Lisa were looking around in a sudden change of scenery. 

It was like they were standing in a forest full of greens, though they haven't moved an inch. Everywhere was filled with tall green trees with full leaves and Barry smiled. 

"This is what happens after 4 years and 6 weeks."

Caitlin blinked.

"But it has been 1 inch long for 4 years," she said, "How can it grow this big in just six weeks?" 

"Not six weeks," Barry said, "4 years and six weeks."

"Like I've said, they've been growing their roots for four hard years, they never stopped growing, and the last six weeks was just the tip of the iceberg that they've become." 

The kids were still half-listening and half-amazed at the sudden burst of forests around them. 

"Sometimes it may seem like you're not growing, not improving at all or feel like you've lost. But in truth, we're constantly growing, whether the change is visible or not." Barry said, and when he met Len's eyes, he grinned and said, 

"Sometimes you just need a little crouching before you leap."

"Dude. This is awesome." Cisco said, and then asked,".. but where did you get all these? Have you just been to China?"

Barry burst out laugh at that. 

"No, no, I just googled the botanical gardens nearby and brought them for a minute." 

"Nice." Cisco said smiling and Barry looked at Len and Lisa. Lisa was giggling happily running around the trees and Len was watching him with this undecipherable look. 

"Your boyfriend, Cold," Len said, and Barry tensed,"What kind of person is he?"

"Um.. He has many talents." Barry said carefully,"and he likes teaching stuffs to me and be insufferable doing it, so I learned various stuffs from him." 

"Huh." Len said. The boy sounded disappointed and annoyed at something at the same time. 

"... He sounds like a nerd." Len finally said, and Barry couldn't hold back giggles and smiled. 

"Yes, I know. He is a huge nerd but he has his moments." 

When Barry said it he looked at Len expecting him to laugh too but instead saw a furrowed brows and a glare. 

Barry blinked at him when Len shrugged and said"this was all cool but I'm tired now, I'll catch you later Scarlet." 

and went back to the lab that Caitlin had assigned to be the kid's room for the time being. 

Lisa seemed like wanting to run around the forest a little more, but she looked at her brother and quickly ran to hug Barry and kiss him on his cheek. 

"Thank you." 

She smiled sheepishly and ran away following her brother. 

Barry felt his face splitting with huge grin but kind of felt worried how Len suddenly looked so gloom. He did not know where he had gone wrong and he looked back at his friends and was surprised to have met with two amused smiles. 

"Oh Barry." Caitlin said. Caitlin and Cisco were looking at him in funny ways and Barry looked back at them. 

"What?" Barry asked, suddenly conscious if there was something on his face. 

"You seriously don't know what just happened?" Caitlin said and she was already smiling hugely. 

"What happened?" Barry asked bewildered. 

"You've totally become his first crush, and the kid is jealous of your boyfriend." Cisco said and Barry looked at him in disbelief. 

"No, no that's- what?"

"Which means you've just made your boyfriend jealous of his future-self and this is so awesome." 

Barry looked at Cisco and then Caitlin and looked back where the kids disappeared. What has become of his life?


	6. A pretty crazy day even for the Flash

Barry was running around like a manic thunderbolt on caffeine high and Cisco, Caitlin and Iris were all yelling frantically at him in different microphones. Too bad that Barry was just one person, fastest man alive or not.

"The building on 24th street caught on fire and there's 20 people trapped inside 10 to 20 floors!" Caitlin screamed, 

"There's a truck with an escaped convict that's about to hit the bridge full of cars in 25 seconds!" Cisco yelled, and looked confused for a moment when he yelled, 

"You what? How did you- how could you- how did that happen?" 

Then when he realized everybody was staring at him in shock, Cisco quickly covered the receiver and said, 

"I've tapped into every 911 calls to the fire department and this lady says her cat is being swept away on the river tube." 

Everybody was staring at him when Barry's com yelled, 

"Wait, wait, what???"

Barry could barely distinguish any of them speaking and when Barry asked, they all jumped in and yelled in frantic voices again and Barry looked around frantically when, 

"Stop."

Len's voice said and everybody stopped. 

"Scarlet, breathe. Let us break them down for you." Len said and Barry automatically breathed in, the young voice so calm and confident it helped Barry cool down his head and thumping heart immediately. Len didn't hesitate to give him new, clear direction. 

"15 seconds. Go to the Green Cliff Bridge, now." 

Barry nodded, and ran as fast as he could to the bridge. When he got to the bridge, the truck was 60 feet away and charging, with the bridge packed with cars and vehicles due to the traffic jam.  
Some people were already screaming and trying to run away, while dozens of cars were still unaware of the situation or stuck by other cars. Barry felt the electricity charging in his veins.  
In the Starlabs, Iris had turned off the microphone for a minute to discuss ways to guide Barry when he was done on the bridge, and Snarts kids were looking up at the various live feeds from the bridge. 

"There are too many cars," Lisa whispered, looking at the monitor that showed the Flash on the brink of the bridge facing the truck,"he wouldn't have enough time."

"Can he be fast enough?" Len asked, and Cisco smiled at the brave kid who snapped them out of panic and said, 

"No."

Both Snart kids looked sharply back at him. Cisco wiggled his eyebrows at them and smiled. 

"He's faster."

Len and Lisa turned their heads in time to see the speedster blaze forward, dragging out the criminal from his seat to toss him to the arriving police officers, then returned to hit the break of the truck. When truck didn't stop immediately and was left with 3 feet from hitting the closest car on the bridge, that's when the flash became a full-blown lightning. 

The speedster bolted, zigzagging through vehicles and getting all the people out before the truck hit them. Every streak of lightning saving people from the monstrous truck that crushed every vehicles that were in the way, destroying a dozen cars and trucks before it finally stopped.  
There were 30 people on the brink of the bridge when the truck crashed the last car and broke down, some of them were still covering their eyes or screaming when they realized they were safely away from the disaster zone.  
People and the police were about to thank the Flash when the speedster's lightning trail was bolting to the other side of the city. 

"Wow." Len whispered while Lisa cheered and Cisco couldn't help but realize he looked exactly the same when he put Barry to do the same thing with a bunch of people on a tipping train(which Len had tipped over just to test how fast Barry was). Cisco was brought back to himself when Iris was yelling, 

"Barry, 42nd street 13 Avenue, the building is about to collapse and there are still people inside!" 

So Cisco and Snart kids quickly joined them to help guide the Flash do his job. 

 

 

 

Barry did manage to rescue 26 people in the bank robbery scene, 3 couples who were stuck in the top of the malfunctioning Ferris wheel and three elderly people that were about to be hit by a traffic offender in addition to the people he saved earlier that day on the bridge and in the collapsing building.  
Even for the Flash it was a crazy day. 

When Barry reappeared at the Starlabs, his cowl down and his suit part-burnt part-chafed and fully wet, he looked like the definition of the worn-out. 

"What happened?" Iris yelped when she saw that Barry was soaked, as if he'd just been swimming with his suit on.  
Barry wordlessly shook his head(even that motion seemed to tired) as he headed for the nearest couch and raised his elbow to show them a scratched part of the suit. 

There was confused silence then Cisco gasped,"The crazy cat lady!" 

Then everybody said "Ahhhh" in realization. 

Barry fell into the couch face first and nodded into the pillow. Lisa trotted to him and patted his back of the head sympathetically. 

"What did you do, did the little cat turn into a sea monster and attack you? How come you got so wet?" Caitlin, who had grabbed the towel from the near room, asked Barry as she tried to mop up the spent speedster. 

Barry tried to swat her away but his movement was like that of a pathetic snail and she attacked him with towel until she decided she needed to bring a big hairdryer to deal with this. Barry seemed like he wanted to flee before the crazy mother hen with a mean dryer came back to haunt him but didn't seem to have a single working bone in his body.  
Len tutted next to him and was rewarded with a very sleepy glare from the speedster. 

"Not only was the crazy cat lady was crazy, the cat was crazy too." Barry said and shuddered as if he suddenly remembered something horrible. 

"I got to the river tube no problem, then the cat went berserker on me and tried to kill me." Barry said, then added, "I'm never getting a cat after today. They are evil." 

"Aww, cats are not evil," Lisa said, totally ignoring the near-death experience that Barry just had with the said creature, then asked, "Did you rescue the poor kitty?" 

Barry seemed heartbroken at this heartless reaction to his misery but he said, "Yes, I managed to save the evil kitten and returned her to her owner." 

"Yay! You're the best, Barr." Lisa said and Barry automatically looked over at Iris, who just smiled hugely and shrugged. 

"You have to change clothes if you don't want to catch cold, Scarlet." Len said when he saw Barry close his eyes and happily breathed in. 

Barry seemed already half gone over sleep and whispered, "That's funny."

Len raised his eyebrow. 

"What's funny?"

Barry tossed and turned, trying to find the comfortable spot on the couch and smiled with his eyes closed when he said, 

"My boyfriend used to say that too."

Len's hand stopped from reaching the waterdrop tickling down Barry's cheek. Barry was already lightly snoring when Cisco came to take off the speedster's soaked suit and put him in Lab pajamas, and when he was done both kids were looking at the passed out speedster on the couch curiously. 

"Is he breathing?"

Iris asked when she brought more towels to the couch and gave a fresh one to Lisa, who was happily dabbing it at the unconscious speedster's still wet face and hair.  
Len shrugged because even with all his sister's poking and prodding, Barry remained eerily limp. 

"Check his breathing." Cisco whispered and Lisa leaned in, her little eyebrows knitted in concentration and then finally whispered,"He's alive." 

"So, where's my son and what's with the news about the Flash nearly drowning himself fighting a cat in the river?"

Joe came into the labs and everybody, including Len and Lisa, gaped at him in open shock. Joe seemed a little taken aback at all people's gaping and then his eyes fell onto the little kids. 

"Oh, there are kids here, hi there you two," Joe said, and when Cisco came out his lab and saw this, he made a squeaking sound. 

"Hey, you two kind of look familiar." Joe said, his tone a little confused, "In fact, you kids look almost exactly like----"

Then Joe's eyes couldn't have gone wider when the realization dawned on him. 

"Oh dad, there's something that we've been meaning to tell you." Iris said coyly, and Joe was so done with the day already.


	7. Joe meets the little Snarts.

".. and that's why they're here dad."

When Iris finished talking, Joe looked between confused and stunned. The Snart kids were looking at him in open curiousness and caution. Those tensed expressions on their little faces mad Joe's heart ache so he put on his best smile and said,"Hi there."

Lisa was peaking her head from behind her brother, who was looking at Joe with careful stare. Caitlin quickly pulled them to another room while Iris and Cisco explained the little children in the Starlabs.

"So they're really the Snarts, huh? Leonard Snart and his sister?" Joe asked, looking through the glass window to see the two kids peaking curiously back at him.  
Cisco nodded to Joe and then to Caitlin and she brought them back into the room. Joe noticed how Len and Lisa immediately came next to still knocked out Barry and stayed there. Huh.

"So Barry's keeping them here?" Joe asked.

"Well, for the time being, they can't go anywhere else because hotels won't be safe and Barry works daytime at the police station so they can't be left alone in Barry's apartment too." Cisco said and Joe looked at the kids.  
It was one thing to hear and another thing to see it for yourself.

"We all felt it too, you know," Cisco said when he saw the look on the detective's face. "It's pretty weird to see someone's face decades younger."

"Actually," Joe said, "I've seen them like this before." Joe said and everybody blinked.

"When?" Iris asked and before Joe could answer, Len beat him to it.

"You're the detective who came to our house last year." Len said, and then he paused for a brief moment before he said,"Our neighbor called in for family violence. You came and our father slashed your hand when you tried to stop him from hurting us."

Iris and Ciscos gaped at Joe and Joe didn't know what to say.

"So you guys have already met. Huh. Time is really wibbly wobbly there, isn't it." Cisco muttered. And that's when Len suddenly said,

"My dad hates you."

And everybody gaped at him.

"Len!" Caitlin shushed him but it was Lisa who poked her face from behind her brother's face and said,

"He said he wanted to shoot you."

Somewhere Cisco was making squeaking sound again and then Len smirked and said,

"Which means you must be a damn good cop."

"Huh." Joe said, smile threatening to split his face,

"To think I'd live to see the day to hear that words from C-"

"Dad!"

"Joe!!"

Iris and everybody jumped and yelped, and Joe and the Snarts looked back at them in surprise. Joe quickly said, "- Cute little Leonard Snart, I mean."

And Len and Lisa were still gaping at the crazy adults who were now pretending they didn't just scream suddenly and nothing had happened.

"What was that?" Len narrowed his eyes at Cisco, whom he seemed to find as the easiest target in the Lab family (which clearly his older version thought so too, which was not insulting to Cisco at all), and Cisco was suddenly immersed in the way his shadow looked.

"Nice save, dad," Iris whispered and bumped her shoulder to Joe and the detective grinned.

The little Snarts were now sitting next to Barry, who by the way was still far gone in his sleep despite all the dramas that were going on here.

Len and Lisa nestled themselves a little fortress with blankets and pillows, which Cisco seemed to find extremely interesting and soon joined immediately to help(play with) them. As the Wests watched in amusement, soon only the speedster's head and feet were visible in all those heaps of blankets and pillows.

Joe watched as Barry mumbled something in his sleep and toss and turn, to which Len and Lisa gasped as they kept quiet and giggled soundlessly until the speedster fell back to his sleep.

They seemed so at ease and happy, Joe was reminded of the time when he first met the Snart kids.

Joe did go to Lewis Snart's house when there was report of domestic violence and that's when he first met the little Snarts. The little boy was trying to protect his sister from their drunken father and the boy was already bleeding from his forehead, and Joe can't forget the flashing anger and pain that the sight caused him.

When Joe managed to contain the raging drunk and send him to CCPD with the help of his partner, he dragged them to hospital to take care of Len's bleeding face. It was when Joe got to the hospital and met the aghast look of the nurses and doctors that he realized his hand was flooding blood and it didn't help that he forgot his bleeding hand and used it to swipe sweat off his own forehead.  
The nurses thought that Joe was dying and they strapped both the detective and Len to emergency room to take care of their wounds.

When the wrap up was finished both exhausted boy and man sat on the bench, and that's when Lisa gave Joe a handkerchief to wipe his still blood-covered face.

"You look like a zombie from TV." Lisa hiccuped and said, even though she was near dehydration from all her crying.

Joe still had that handkerchief to this day, though the little defiant boy who was so stubborn that he said he didn't need medication he just wanted to go home with his little sister became Captain Cold, and the little girl who was crying helplessly and clinging to his brother became Golden Glider whose menace was matched only by her wit and beauty.

How the time passed, Joe was still amazed. And the little kid in front of him never knew that, one day that he would grow old, meet the detective's son Barry Allen, and fall in love with him head over heels.   
That he would go from killing and thieving to saving the world, become a hero instead of one of the most feared villains in the city, and change from a person who was so afraid of his own dark past that he wouldn't allow himself to have good things like Barry Allen happen to him, to a person Joe was proud to call his son's partner, to make Barry happy and protect him.

How things change, Joe really couldn't say.


	8. Good night, Barry

"Here we are." Joe said, turning on the lights in the living room and looking back at the kids.

He saw Cisco, or shall he say a heaving gasping mess of an engineer. He was carrying Barry, who was surprisingly sound asleep through everything that's been going around him.

The lab family discussed what to do with the knocked out speedster and the kids, decided to carry Barry down the halls to the car in the parking lot, and brought him and the Snart kids to Joe's house.  
Cisco carried his friend on his back and nearly dropped him on the pavement (several times, Caitlin might add) and just barely managed to drag the tall lanky speedster to the door for the last few feet.

Joe would have offered to help if it weren't so funny to watch the engineer swear in various colorful nerdy languages(the kids wouldn't even understand them so it was okay) and the girls and the Snarts giggled as Cisco struggled and pulled the last few feet from the front step to the couch in the living room.

"Where is the couch? Where is the couch???" Cisco yelped, while looking desperate to just dump his unconscious friend on the floor and be done with it.

"Here, put him down here," Iris guided him as the engineer dragged-pulled-swore-carried the speedster across the living room and finally dumped Barry on the couch.

"There. How can someone so skinny be that heavy?"

Cisco dropped down next to the sleeping speedster on the couch and sighed, while Iris quickly went into the kitchen to get the engineer a cup of ice water. Caitlin smiled proudly at him and Lisa giggled.

"I should have carried him instead." Iris said smiling, handing Cisco an ice water that he gratefully accepted and drank down. Cisco looked so relieved and Len and Lisa were staring curiously around the house.

"Kid Leonard Snart and Lisa Snart in my house." Joe said, looking at the two happy kids who were running around the couch and peering into family photos on the table and laughing,"I have so many mixed feelings about this."

"Where are they going to sleep?" Caitlin asked, and Iris shrugged.

"Since our speedster is knocked down on that couch, Barry's room is free, so they can each have my old room and Barry's." Iris said and Lisa made a face.

"Can't we sleep here with him?" Lisa asked, giving her best puppy eyes and Iris seemed to melt inside but she shook her head.

"But sweetie, you can't sleep on the floor and you'd sleep much better in bed."

Lisa pouted but nodded eventually, her eyes already drooping due to all day's excitement and she leaned onto Barry's sleeping head. Len seemed equally worn out, blinking in a sort of dazed way.  
Iris and Caitlin smiled.

"Let us show you your beds, okay?"

Both Snart kids nodded and followed them upstairs, while Cisco and Joe was left standing in the living room with a passed out speedster.

"So..." Cisco said, and he looked at Joe.

"I so did not expect to live to see the day." Joe said, shaking his head. Cisco smiled.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Cisco nodded. "To live to tell that I saw Captain Cold in his cutest 10 year old self? I'm documenting every moment of this." Cisco said, his face bright with excitement.

If Joe feared for the tech guy's well-being when he faced the fully-grown said Captain Cold, Joe didn't mention it.  
The kids were really cute after all. Maybe it was worth Cisco's head frozen over by a Cold gun.

"Dad?"

Iris's head peered down from the staircase, and Joe looked up. Iris was smiling.

"Lisa wants you to give her a good night kiss."

"Aww." Cisco said when Joe's face was colored with surprise, and he pointed at himself and asked,"Me?"

"Yes dad, you." Iris laughed and Joe kind of nervously looked back at Cisco and went upstairs to follow Iris.

Cisco was smirking and was getting ready to head home when there were footsteps and Iris's head popped up on top of the stairs again.

"Oh, and Cisco?"

"Don't tell me little Captain Cold wants me to give him a goodnight kiss." Cisco yelped, fear apparent in his voice. He then added, "Wow. That was a weird sentence." Iris huffed out laugh.

"Though I'd love to see you try, no. Caitlin asked if she could share cabs with you?"

"Oh, of course." Cisco seemed visibly relaxed, and rubbed his face. Iris laughed and went upstairs, while Cisco looked down at his peacefully sleeping friend on the couch.

"Man. What a life you've led me into." Cisco said, watching the mop of brown hair softening Barry's features and couldn't keep a smile spreading his face.

Barry mumbled in his sleep as if he heard his friend's words and Cisco quietly dimmed the lights in the living room, found a spare blanket on the chair and brought it to cover Barry's body. Barry sighed happily in his sleep. Cisco smiled.

"Good night Barry."


	9. Short break for a speedster? Nope

The crime-fighting days hadn't gotten better since that crazy day that Barry had saved more than 50 people in one day. 

Crimes and accidents seemed to happen everywhere all at once, keeping CCPD crazy busy even with the full help of the Flash. Barry spent half the day processing more evidence and documents in the precinct, and the other half zipping around saving people, fight various crimes, and barely had enough time to stop and breathe. 

"You're pushing yourself, Scarlet." Len said, when Barry just came back to the labs before he was called in for another crime or accident, relishing in the brief moment of blissful peace in the labs.  
Caitlin and Cisco had dragged out a couch and some blankets to the main hall, to which Barry immediately dropped as soon as he entered the lab with a whoosh. 

"Huh?" Barry barely lifted his head to look at Len, who was arching his brows in a disapproval that was even effective in his young face. It made Barry want to roll his eyes but even that would require too much of Barry's energy now. 

"How come this is happening? Have anything like this ever happened before?" Len asked, and Cisco, with piles of fast foods scattered on his desk and computer, was making a zombie sound. Len looked sharply back at Cisco and Lisa was giggling happily at the zombified tech-guy. 

"This, I don't know. It's like there's a hundred different metas, all of them bent on committing mayhem, determined to make Central City living hell and cause chaos." Caitlin said, her eyebrows knitted in concentration as she read the datas on Cisco's monitors. She looked worn out too, from sleep deprivation for the last few days. Dark circles evident below her eyes as she sipped yet another big cup of coffee. 

"This is weird." Len said, as he watched the pattern Cisco had pulled out for him on the monitors. Lisa hopped from Cisco's side and joined her brother as he knitted his eyebrows and looked down at the patterns and the numbers. 

"Are they under some command? They can't be just randomly popping out from their holes and cause this massive mayhem involuntarily, it doesn't make sense." 

"Well," Cisco said, and Len looked at him. "Well?" Len said. 

Cisco blinked at the boy and said, 

"There were some very minor irregularities but it's barely noticeable- " 

"Show me." Len cut him off and peered into the monitors. Cisco typed and and tilted the monitor to his way while another alarm went off the lab. On the couch the speedster made an growling sound. 

"Arghghg." Barry said, twisting in his seat and grumpily getting up. Caitlin shot him a sympathetic look and Lisa patted his shoulder.  
Barry who was barely keeping his eyes open smiled sleepily at her. 

"You can't go like that." Len said, his nose crunched in disapproval. "You can't even keep your eyes open long enough." 

"I can go. I should go." Barry said, trying not to sound too worn out or pouty to a ten year old, "People need me."

"Scarlet," Len started, then Barry flashed him a smile to which Len immediately stopped to stare. 

"Don't worry," Barry said with the smile, "I'll be back in a flash." 

And before Len could even try to roll his eyes at the bad puns, Barry was gone with a spark. 

When Len turned to Cisco and Caitlin, both adults were smiling at him like idiots. 

"We totally don't know where he got that terrible sense of humor from." Cisco said, and Caitlin smiled too. Len sighed. 

He liked less and less of this Barry's boyfriend Cold with every second.


	10. The face you notice in the crowd

Barry stopped in his track.

"Hey, why did you stop Barry?" Cisco's voice rang through the com but the speedster was busy looking around.

He quickly scanned through the crowd and found nothing when he said,"It's... I think I just saw the same guy we arrested for bank robbery last week in the crowd."

"The one with the temporary blinding beam shooting skills?" Len's voice asked through the com, and Barry nodded though they couldn't look at him right now.

"Yeah, that one."

"It can't be. You just delivered him to the police, remember?" Caitlin asked, and her voice was colored with worry, "Barry, are you all right?"

"Maybe you're just tired." Cisco said, "or hungry?"

And like clockwork, Barry's stomach grumbled. Barry groaned."I could use some pizza."

Barry could almost see Cisco's smile.

"You got it. I'll call and order, and while you run back home I'll search for that convict if there was any breakout or suspicious activity. "

"Thanks." Barry said, suddenly feeling the unrealized weight being lift off from that simple assurance. He didn't know why he felt this way, it might have been just an illusion or just a similar face in the crowd.

"Race the pizza delivery guy to the lab?" Len said, and Barry couldn't help himself grinning too. Really, even kid Len was a bad influence on him.

"I win, I get the half the boxes." Barry said, and heard Cisco whine, "Kid, you know you just cost me money for like 20 boxes of pizza."

Barry smiled. Cisco would need to order 30 pizzas, seriously, his friend was underestimating how much a hungry speedster could eat.

 

 

"So, no convict was reported missing," Cisco said as he mournfully saw the stack of pizza boxes that was piling up next to the speedster.

Lisa and Len were watching in utter fascination, their eyes huge as Barry finished off yet another box of pizza and was now drinking his fifth coke.

"Where do you put all that?" Len asked, probably not noticing how high his voice sounded, but everybody understood. No matter how many times you watch Barry eat, it was still wonder how slim guy like him could eat a mountain of food in a blink and still look positively hungry.

Cisco and Joe avoided interrupting Barry when he was eating, Cisco once said he heard Barry growl when he accidentally ate the last piece of pizza once, though Barry blinked innocently and said no such thing happened.  
But everyone knew the truth.  
The speedster could be mean when he was hungry.

"Um, guys, about the convict?" Cisco said, as Barry finally closed the final 10th box of pizza and tossed it to the pile of 9 pizza boxes on the floor.

Caitlin and Iris were looking at Barry in utter jealousy(he was able to eat whatever he want and still be that slim and fit, it was just unfair) and Lisa curiously patted Barry's stomach and giggled when Barry pretended to eat her little hands.

"I can't possibly eat more," Barry said, then eyed the pizza slice that Iris was about to eat(which he got a death-stare from his sister) and flinched and looked back at Cisco,"What have you found?"

"Though no missing report or attempt of prison break, the guy that you thought you saw did file many pleas about not being guilty for several of his crimes." Cisco said.

That earned people's attention.

"What?" Len asked, and Cisco shrugged.

"He's not the only one. Many other criminals and metas we've put in the Iron Heights for the last two weeks have pleaded that they have not committed the crimes they were accused of. They are insisting that they were not at the places at the time of the crimes."

"That's insane." Caitlin said, putting down her cup of coke,"We saw them doing the crime, we still have footage and videos of them doing the crimes."

"That's true." Barry said, having brought them to justice himself, they were definitely responsible for their crimes, but why were they pleading not guilty in unison all of a sudden?

"What doesn't make sense is that they do admit of having committed other crimes, except for the last two weeks." Len said thoughtfully, his eyes keen and bright with concentration and it was uncanny with his older self, Barry couldn't help but notice, and it made his heart ache for a brief moment before Len said,"If they are just trying to get out of prison, why would they admit other crimes?"

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Barry blinked.

"I have to go meet them."

"What?" Caitlin said, and everybody looked at Barry like he was crazy.

"Why would you do that?" Cisco asked, and Barry shrugged because he himself didn't exactly know why he was taking this so seriously.  
Barry pointed at one of the monitors where the picture of the guy he thought he saw few hours ago was on.

"That's why. If they're telling the truth and there's an imposter, or multiple of them, then I've put the wrong guys in the prison."

"They all deserve to be put in prison, Barry." Iris said, and then she saw the look on Barry's face."But you've already made your mind."

"I'll ask them individually and find out if they're telling the truth. If they are, we have a serious meta criminal who is determined to sabotage the city and is doing an excellent job doing it." Barry said.

Realization dawned on people's minds and they looked at the monitors where there were files and pictures of more than 40 petty to big crimes and accidents that took place in the last two weeks.

"If there really is one, or multiple ones," Len said, his eyebrows crunched and Barry grinned and poked his finger at it to stop him from getting permanent wrinkle in his forehead,

"Then we'll fight him or her or them together." Barry said.

"We will! We'll help you fight the bad guys, Barry." Lisa said, hugging Barry's neck, her voice determined and frighteningly sweet.  
Barry couldn't help but smile at how it was so much like her older self, just like her brother was with his older self.

"Then let's get to work to find out." Cisco said, grinning.


	11. Now we know.  (background Cisco sobbing)

Barry decided to go to Iron Heights with Joe and Iris. He went there as the Flash, and Joe as a detective and Iris as a journalist who was curious about the sudden mayhem caused by spike of crime rates in the city. 

Len and Lisa wanted to come but Barry had to put his foot down. 

"You can't come." Barry told the two kids standing in front of him. 

"Why not?" Len said, his eyes sharp and accusing, and Barry tried hard not to flinch inside. 

"But we promised to help you!" Lisa said next to her sister, equally frustrated. 

"You're kids, you can't come to prison, it's full of dangerous criminals." Barry said, trying hard not to cave into pairs of little Snarts' puppy eyes. 

"Look at us." Len said sarcastically,"We come from long history of criminal blood. There's nothing in there we haven't seen or known before." 

But when Len saw how Barry's face falter at his words, he abruptly shut his mouth and glared at Cisco, whom his sister was already attacking with her best puppy eyes when she realized Barry was determined and hard to break. 

"Guys," Cisco said, his voice squeaky, "I'm feeling under a lot of pressure here."

Cisco walked sideways until he was safely behind Barry and out of attack lines of the Snarts puppy eye stares. 

Iris rolled her eyes at him and sighed. 

"I'm with Barry on this one kids, you have to stay here."

"But-" The Snarts started in unison but Joe made a serious face and both kids shut their mouth. They pouted and made faces but they fell silent and other adults in the lab looked at Joe in awe. 

"How did he..?" Caitlin asked, and Barry and Iris who were standing side by side shook their heads in unison. 

"It's the face that dad used to give us when we stayed up late or wanted ice cream for breakfast." Iris said. 

Caitlin nudged Cisco and Cisco huffed out laugh when he found that both grown up Joe's kids were making the same pouty faces unconsciously next to the Snart kids. 

Cisco took pictures of them in a flash and even Barry almost missed his quick snap and stared at his friend wondering. Cisco just grinned innocently. His album of the Snart kids was getting richer and richer. There was a waiting list that already started with Iris and Caitlin and there was some large amount of cash coming from Starling City too. 

"So, are you ready for this?"

Cisco said when the three of them packed for their trip to the prison, and Barry changed into his Flash suit once again and was about to put on the cowl. 

"Barr," Lisa chirped, her huge eyes trained on him and Barry automatically knelt his one knee to match the eye level with her. 

"Yes, Lisa?"

"You can call me Lis," Lisa said, and she wrapped her little hands on Barry's cowl. She put on the cowl on his face though with a few clumsy pull and though Barry's one cheek was pulled too much with the cowl, he didn't let it show.   
He looked through the cowl and smiled at her. 

"Thanks, Lis."

"Don't get hurt or do something stupid." Lisa said, her tone serious and Barry had to bite inside his cheek not to smile. He nodded solemnly and Lisa smiled satisfied. 

"Len would get mad if you get hurt, and so would I." 

"I'll keep that in mind." Barry said, smiling. 

"'Kay." Lisa said, looking a little sheepish all of a sudden and she pulled down Barry's cowl-covered head and lightly kissed the top of his cowl. 

"Awww." Caitlin and Iris said and Barry and Lisa looked up, Lisa quickly stepping away from Barry and ran out of the room with her face impossibly reddened. 

Both Caitlin and Iris were grinning so hugely that Barry was afraid they might get a cramp. 

Cisco was holding his face in his palms and was making a sound suspiciously like sobbing and as Barry looked at all of them incredulously, Joe shrugged and smiled. 

"Didn't know Lisa Snart's first crush was you, Barr." Joe said, as Barry's mouth dropped like a fish. 

"What?" Barry squeaked. 

"You okay with this?" Joe said, ignoring the obvious shock of his son and both Len and Cisco answered at the same time. 

"No."

"I can handle competition."

Then Len and Cisco looked at each other and the tech guy gaped at the boy in disbelief. Len just shrugged and said, "I'll win."

As other people burst out laughing, Cisco was making miserable sounds and Barry wondered, how did he even get to this place again. 

 

 

 

 

Visiting people in prison whom you have personally hand delivered to there in the first place was not a pleasant experience. Iris smiled at him sympathetically when they met in the hall, and patted Barry on the shoulder. 

"How did it go?"

"Not good." Barry said and asked,"How about you?"

Iris shrugged and raised her notebook. It was filled with furious scribbles and highlights. 

"I got most of their stories, and when I called Cisco to check up on their stories, it did match." 

Joe came out from another room and joined them on the lounge table. His face looked stern but it softened when he saw his children. 

"How'd it go, Joe?" Barry asked and Joe shrugged and told them similar stories as Iris. 

"Mine was too." Barry said, after Joe shared his story. 

"So they were really telling the truth, huh." Barry said, and Joe patted his shoulder. 

"You couldn't have possibly known that, Barr. It seems like the imposter, or several of them, purposefully made you arrest him or them and then made the switch." Joe said. 

"They look exactly same so no one could know there was change in the inmates and the criminals who were framed for the crimes they didn't commit, they didn't stand a chance because who would listen to their impossible stories?"

"Cisco has checked out their whereabouts in the exact time and place they insisted they were, so it won't be hard to prove their innocence." Iris said, then added,"In this particular case only."

"So how could we catch this imposter? Or several of them?" Barry said, feeling heavy weight on his shoulder. 

"It's far too extensive to have been done by a single person, even if he or she had powers it would require at least a small team to have pulled this off." Barry said and the others nodded. 

"So they mimicked the people they were going to frame perfectly, we didn't even doubt that it could be an imposter." Joe said. 

"So maybe they're shape-shifter? Changer?"

"Looks like it." Barry nodded then disheveled his hair. 

"How could we find them, or catch them? We don't even know who they are, let alone how many of them are." 

Barry said, and Iris slowly spoke. 

"Maybe.. there's a way."

Both Joe and Barry looked at her and she grinned mischievously. 

"But Barry, this one needs to be done by you."

"What is it?" Barry asked, already feeling dread spreading in his stomach because god Iris could smile so scary when she wanted to. 

"There's one inmate that could actually help us. I've talked to him and he knows things, but he made it clear that it had to be you who he talks to when he gives the information." 

Barry froze in his chair. 

"Who is it?"

Iris smiled. 

"You know him. And you've already met him."

And then she slid the file on the table facing Barry. 

Joe tilted his head to recognize the face when Barry was already shaking his head. 

There was a familiar looking face, curly hair and big glasses with crooked smile that smirked up Barry and oh yes, Barry knew that face. 

"It's Hartley, Barr." Iris said, and Barry thumped his head on the table.


	12. An offer on the table, no?

If someone asked Barry if he didn't like Hartley, the answer would have been no. 

Barry actually liked the guy, after the trip to the past to get secret recipe to make him faster by tricking past Wells(Thawne), and one scary dementor-like time monster nearly sucking your soul out and miraculously rescued by the same person who wanted to destroy your very existence. 

After an experience like that, you actually see a lot different sides of the guy that you haven't realized before. 

That means, until that said man, who was actually now good, kind and was in excellent terms with his parents and heritage of the millionaire super corporate, so did not subtly undress you with your eyes every time you enter a room or watched your backside with a stare every time you turn your back on him or bend over something.  
Really, that could be uncomfortable. 

Joe eyed Barry's weary face(whose forehead was swollen because of the repeated thumping on the table) and Iris just grinned at her mischievously. 

Caitlin must have told her about it, the women were getting along too well for Barry's like sometimes and now, as he dragged his feet as slowly as possible toward the death trap, Barry just wished he could get hold of something to strangle to find comfort. Preferably Rip's neck. Yes, definitely the time master's neck. 

"You look like a cow being dragged into a butcher house, Barr." Joe said, worried at his son's flat face and Barry sighed and shrugged. 

After all, it's been a while since he last saw Hartley and he could have been busy, maybe met someone, found another interest, forgot about Barry, totally not interested in how- 

"Barrrrry."

A familiar voice purred as he opened the door and Barry closed his eyes.  
There Hartley was, chained to a table and looking absolutely fascinated to see Barry again. The way he absolutely purred Barry's name made hair on Barry's neck stand and Barry managed to grin painfully. 

"Hartley."

"Wait, he knows who you are?" Joe said, alarmed that the convicted criminal knows Flash's identity but Hartley just shrugged. 

"Please. I'm not an idiot, I've known it for a while." Hartley answered, then he grinned and added sweetly,"And I'd recognize that lips from miles away, they're too tempting and the cowl Cisco has made doesn't do much to hide the pretty face of yours anyway."

His eyes never wavering from Barry's face and he looked positively beaming. Barry felt more and more uneasy. 

"O...Kay, so, you have the information that we need." Iris said instead of Joe, who was now eyeing Hartley like he's just witnessed a horny teenager ogling his sweet 16 year old girl. 

And it should have been humiliating for Barry, though right now Barry couldn't much feel anything anyway due to the cold chill running down his body. 

"I do." Hartley said, still grinning at Barry. Barry couldn't help but ask, "I thought you had turned good. After.. I've changed the time course." 

Hartley laughed at that. 

"Oh, goody good good. Good is boring. Where's the fun in that?" He said, and when he saw the look of confused and sad on Barry's face, he shook his face. 

"Oh, don't give me that look. Okay," then Hartley sighed and said,"You don't have to make that sad puppy eyes, Flash. I was kidding. Actually I'm not exactly here for the crime I've committed." 

"What?" Iris asked, and Hartley shrugged. 

"I'm a billion dollar corporation's only heir, in excellent terms with my parents, and even without that my brains alone would make me millions easily. And though as tempting as the dark side of the crime world is, I was just here for a visit."

"As a convict?" Barry asked incredulously and Hartley nodded and grinned. 

"As your sister said, I have the information that you need and I was here getting the scrap of it." Hartley said, and as he said it, he flung his shackled hands in the air and the guard came and freed his hands. Both three people gaped at him as Hartley toyed with the metal and smiled at Barry. 

"If you'd like to entertain me with this, I'd be happy to participate." 

"No, nono, nonono." Barry said, maybe in super speed and Hartley grinned like a big cat. Iris looked just too damn amused for Barry's liking and Barry glared at her. 

"The offer's always still the table." Hartley said, and totally ignoring Barry's shudder, and Iris looked back at Barry and whispered,"Still?" 

Barry avoided his sister's and Joe's accusing stares. 

"So you're tracking this mystery criminal now?" Barry asked, desperate to change the subject. 

"How much do you know?" Joe asked, and Hartley grinned at them. 

"Enough for me to join and help you guys." 

"We just need the information and we'll be on our way," Barry quickly said, his voice hopeful, but Hartley's smile just intensified. 

"I'll tell you things I learned in this prison, and help you track your guy down." 

"Can't you just tell us and be done with it?" Barry muttered under his breath when Iris quickly nudged him on the side and smiled at Hartley.

"Deal."

"Iris!" Barry squeaked. 

"What? He can help us bring the bad guy down. And you can't keep running around the city like maniac any longer, you have shadows under your eyes the size of continent and you teared up when the pizza guy didn't show up in time---"

"I did NOT tear up when the pizza guy showed up late, Iris!" Barry squeaked but Iris just smiled devilish next to Hartley. He felt his ears burn up. 

Hartley seemed pleased with Iris's support and stood up. He craned his neck sideways and looked at three of them. 

"Great. So we're going to the Starlabs?"

"Oh, we have.. some unexpected guests in the Starlabs." Joe said, glancing at both his kids and Barry sighed and looked up at Hartley. 

"You must promise to behave yourself and keep your mouth shut about everything you see or hear in the labs, okay?" 

"Sure, I'll behave." Hartley said innocently but his glinting eyes betrayed him. Barry just hoped he had made the right decision. 

When they came out the room and went down the corridor Hartley leaned into Barry and asked, "Are you still with the Captain?"

Barry nodded, keeping his eyes trained forward. 

"Yep."

"Shame." Hartley said like he was disappointed, and when Barry glared at him he just shrugged and said, "Well, like I said, the offer is always on the table." 

When Barry shuddered again, Joe thankfully stepped in and motioned Hartley to walk next to him. Iris took his place and walked next to Barry and bumped her shoulder to Barry's. 

"He's really coming onto you, isn't he?" She said, amusement overflowing in her voice. 

"Nope."

"It really seemed like-"

"Nope."

Barry said, and he was sticking to his story. What he was going to face when they got back to the labs, he really didn't want to think about it right now.


	13. Meet the new member of the team

Hartley was smiling so wide Barry was afraid he'd explode. Or maybe Barry hoped so a little.

"Oh. My. God." Hartley said, looking absolutely combusting with joy and hands over his mouth, and said, "Oh. My. God."

Len and Lisa looked so not impressed. They were glaring up at the man, who was watching them with huge eyes behind the glasses and looked like a giant happy grasshopper.

"How did- What did- When did-" Hartley said, almost choking on his own joyfulness and Barry sighed and palmed his face. He let go of so many things these weeks, he felt like he mastered a new level of mentality.

"Who is he?" Len asked, his sharp eyes glaring at the man in front of them and looked back at Barry.  
When he only saw Barry's top of the head, he looked at Cisco. Cisco himself looked torn between annoyed and amused, corner of his mouth twitching and he said, "He's a douche."

To that Hartley's smile only widened. Caitlin quickly stepped in, trying to find neutral words to contain the situation and said, "That's- Hartley. Our.. friend? ex-coworker? He used to work in the Starlabs with us." She said, looking uncertain and added, "He did help us save Barry from time ghost, when he went back in time to get information from someone. Before that he was a villain in another timeline,"

Lisa heard Cisco mutter 'He still is' under his breath, but Caitlin didn't seem to hear that and continued, ".. but in this one, we're all kind of friends."

"Aww, That's sweet of you. I'd like to think all of you as my friends, too." Hartley said, winking at Barry who just raised his head in time and buried his face in his palms again with a groan. The Snarts glared at Hartley and immediately decided they didn't like him.

"They do look scarily uncanny with their older versions, don't they?" Hartley said, when he crossed the main hall to walk right in front of Snarts and the kids looked up at him. 

Cisco squeaked somewhere next to him and said, "I wouldn't get too near them if I were you."

Hartley just looked amused at Cisco's warning. "But they're so small."

"Please stop," Barry mumbled.

"And cute." Hartley said,

"Stop," Iris said,

"And adorable." Hartley said, being the only one in the room who didn't seem to care that with every word he uttered, the Snart kids' eyes glinted maddeningly sharper and sharper.

Cisco and Joe's eyes darted back from the three people in the middle of the room to the fire extinguisher or the nearest emergency alarm because the look the siblings were giving him could have frozen and burnt the man a thousand times over.

"Hartley," Barry said warningly before the tension got too much, "Remember what I told you before we came here, we have a deal."

"Ah yes, the time travelling rules," Hartley said, grinning. "Don't mess up with your past selves, don't give them any pre-information, don't let it slip." He said, then walked past the Snarts to Barry and patted his shoulder.

"But who knows what could happen and make me accidentally slip something important?"

Hartley said, looking at Len directly this time and smiled.  
Len raised his one eyebrow and smirked but there was definite edge to it.

"You want to find out?" Len said, smile dangerously charming and Hartley's smile couldn't have gone wider.

"Len," Barry said, but Hartley was faster. He looked down at the kid and grinned.

"He's still him even when he's this little, isn't he?"

"Let's focus on what's important here, please," Iris said, and stepped in before one(possibly Len) could hurt another(possibly Hartley).

She looked at Hartley and said, "You said you could help us catch this meta, so let's start from there. All this catfight over Barry could wait until then."

Barry looked at his sister disbelivingly but Iris ignored him. Hartley paused and nodded.

"Okay. I did tell you that."

"So what do you know about this meta? or metas?" Cisco said, his fingers already dancing on the keyboards.

Hartley shrugged.

"It's one person. He's called Wechsler and he's not like any other meta you've dealt with." Hartley said, his voice suddenly sharp though his face was carefully neutral.  
Barry blinked.

"How so?"

"He has multiple meta powers, he can make multiple duplicates of himself and can change his looks to whatever person he's touched."

To that, everybody in the lab fell silent.

"How do you know all that?" Len asked, and Hartley shrugged.

"That's why I was in the Iron Heights in the first place. I was developing this app that can detect unusual spike of energy in the city, in this case, metas-"

"That's what I've built!" Cisco yelped, to which Hartley tutted sardonically.

"No, what I'M building is much more sophisticated, it can measure the power levels of the detected meta, can trace them even when they're not using powers, and ultimately-"

"- Log every metas in the city." Cisco ended the sentence.

Hartley looked at the tech guy.

"Huh. You do have a brain, don't you?" said Hartley.

Cisco dignified that by sticking his tongue out.

"Why would you develop something like that?" Joe said, who looked all sort of dazed with all the science talk and the geek energy, then the two geniuses answered simultaneously.

"Because we can."

Then they looked at each other with comtempt and intrigue. Caitlin was rolling her eyes.

"How could he have two different powers at the same time? The powers don't have any similarties, we've never seen anything like that before in metahumans." Iris asked, and Hartley shrugged.

"But you've seen each of them before." Hartley said.

"We have?" Cisco said, then Barry raised his head.  
His gut dropped at the sudden realization and Hartley's gaze told him that he was on the right track.

"Multiplex and Everyman." Barry said, and everybody gaped at him.

Hartley nodded.

"Yes, and he has both of their powers, even stronger ones I might add."

"But they're both dead," Caitlin said, shaking her head, "Let alone how can he have both their powers? They don't have any connections."

"What if there was one?" Hartley asked, his eyes trained on Barry, and this time Barry didn't waver and met his gaze.

"...Did he get to them?" Barry asked, and Hartley nodded.

"Did who get to whom?" Joe asked, and everybody looked at the two guys like they were speaking different languages.

"Are there more of them? People like him?" Barry asked again, and Hartley nodded again too.

"Yes. Though they are still being tested and under water."

"Will somebody explain what's going on here?" Iris said, looking at Barry whose face was chalk white. Lisa grabbed his hand and Barry squeezed it, just desperate for the comfort of the small warmth.

"How?" Barry asked finally, and Hartley shrugged.

"Disected them, tortured them, did numerous operations and illegal mutation stimulants."

"Scarlet." Len said, when Barry bit his lip and let go of Lisa's hand because the speedster was afraid he would hold her hand too tight in his tension.

"Who's he? Who's them?" Len asked, then said, "... What are you so afraid of?"

"General Eiling." Barry said, and his friends gaped at him. The blood on Cisco's and Caitlin's face was drained quickly too.

"So he got to the meta humans and experimented on them to make..." Cisco said, his voice horrified, "...A mutated new meta human?"

"Powerful, deadly meta humans." Hartley said, and Barry finally took deep breaths, and looked straight at Hartley.

"Hartley," he said, and the genius's eyes trained on Barry's immediately.

"You have to stay. And help us find this guy."

The determination in Barry's voice and his eyes made Hartley pause for a moment. Then he grinned and said, "Of course, anything for you, Flash."

And that's how Hartley joined the Team Flash.


	14. Barry's excellent shooting skill leads them to...

"So the evil general is making his own mutated meta humans, who has multiple superpowers and is bent on wreaking havoc in the city," Iris said, looking at the guys in the lab.

Cisco and Barry were deep in concentration staring at the thing in front of them. Iris put her hands on her hips and sighed.

".. And you're making.. a squirt gun?" Iris asked, in flat voice.

"This is not a squirt gun," Cisco said indignantly, and Lisa peeped from behind Barry.

"Yes it is," Lisa chirped, looking at the shining gun on the table in curiousness.

"It does look like a squirt gun," Barry admitted and Cisco looked at his friend in betrayal. Barry grinned and shrugged.

"For your information, this is the prototype of the slow gun I'm building." Cisco said.

"Slow gun?" Len asked, who was eyeing the thing with both doubt and interest."Why?"

"Because the one that Wechsler got his power from, the Everyman, he's touched Barry before." Caitlin said, still shuddering from the memory.

"He touched when he was both Barry and the Flash so he had Barry's speed."

"So he's as fast as Scarlet?" Len asked, and before anyone could answer, Barry beat them to it.

"No." Barry said, and everybody looked at him.

"I'm faster." Barry said, his voice determined. Cisco grinned next to him.

"Yes, our Flash is faster than Everyman's copycat of the Flash, he's broken so many records of speed and he even beat Trajectory, who by the way was easily faster than Mach 3.0."

The Snart kids really looked impressed and Barry felt some of his tension loose.

"But, that was when he's on full speed mode and as we've dealt with this 'Wechsler' guy, though we've never seen him in his true form, he's probably going to outnumber Barry like Multiplex did." Caitlin said, and Cisco shuddered next to her.

"That was one scary night. He could multiply himself into hundreds of people and it was scary to watch, even through the CCTVs."

"So, the Slow gun?" Joe asked, and Cisco nodded.

"Yeah, since WE can't duplicate Barry to fight hundreds of Wechsler, we need to slow Wechsler down when he uses his superspeed."

"And this can do that?" Len asked, looking through the bright various panels on the gun, and Cisco nodded.

"Yeah, this I got the idea from the Turtle, the villain we fought that could make sort of field zone that slows everybody down. Of course, to fight the speedster the Cold gun can do the best job but since obviously the Cold gun is not available now--" Cisco said, and both Snart kids' head snapped up.

"Cold gun?" Len asked, his eyes sparked and Cisco snap shut his mouth with a click. He looked at Barry crying for help with his eyes and Barry sighed. Len and Lisa turned to Barry and looked at him hopefully.

"Yeah, the Cold gun." Barry said, trying to tread carefully in the minefield that was this situation was.

"It's a weapon that was designed to stop a speedster." Barry said slowly, hoping if he spoke slow enough their interest would be distracted to somewhere else, but no such luck happened.

"Your boyfriend's name is Cold." Len said, sharp eyes that didn't leave Barry to escape and Barry nodded and squeaked, "Yes...?"

Len looked so not impressed and continued.

"Is it possible that he is the owner of this 'Cold gun'?"

"Yes." Barry so hoped this wasn't brought up. Len stared at him. 

"He's your boyfriend," Len said slowly, "Who's got the best weapon in the world to stop a speedster."

"Yes."

"And he's your boyfriend."

"Again, yes."

Silence fell and Barry wanted to scream and bolt from the lab. Len looked so cool and calm that even Joe fidgetted and the only person in the room that seemed amused by this situation was Hartley.  
He looked like he was itching to match up a light and throw it in the firecracker piles that was the little Snarts, so Barry quickly intervened before the guy opened his mouth.

"So, I just have to shoot this at Wechsler, right?" Barry asked, taking the gun in his hand and feeling the unfamiliar weight on his hand.

"No, first you have to learn how to shoot it." Cisco said, and Barry shrugged like he needed to ask.

"I grew up under a cop, Cisco. I think know how to shoot a gun." Barry said, and he swears that he heard muffled huffs that suspiciously sounded like Iris and Joe.

Caitlin stepped in, saying, "But do you know how to shoot moving targets that runs at superspeed?"

Barry blinked at the crowd.

"... Maybe?"

"Scarlet," Len said, picking up a few dishes off the table and said,

"Shoot these."

And as Barry watched a dozen dishes slowly flew over an empty space and everybody turned their heads in slow motion, Barry picked up the gun, loaded it, and then fired it at the dishes.

It all happened under 1.3 seconds to normal people.

And Barry missed all of the dishes except for the first one.

The recoil was unexpectedly so strong that the first shot Barry fired made Barry thrown backward and the slow beam was shot to empty spaces.

In normal speed, the dishes were crashing down everywhere like firecrackers and Caitlin yelped in surprise.

The only dish that Barry got in the first place was slowly hovering down the floor where dozens of its friends were shattered in absolute shards.

Everybody turned around to look at him and Barry refused to meet their eyes.

"Oookay," Barry said, putting the gun down and trying to find the most dignifying position to maintain while he was spread on floor, and when he couldn't bear the stares anymore he gave up and said, "... What are you suggesting?"

"We need gun shooting training!" Cisco yelled out of nowhere, and Iris and Caitlin seemed suddenly very excited.

Barry was confused. "Uh, We?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since I last went there, I need to shoot something!" Caitlin said, and Barry gaped at her.

"What?"

"To the shooting gallery!" Cisco yelled, and then everybody was already shouting excitedly and heading to the door. Even Hartley was talking with Joe about shooting occasionally to relieve stress and Barry suspected there was ongoing bet between Snart kids and Iris about who could get more points from the shooting.

Barry really missed his ability to drink these days.


	15. They go to the shooting gallery, and ...

The building was nice, modern and neat, and quite impressive.

Caitlin and Iris were leading the group to the spot which was apparently the best spot in the place. It was on the second floor, which gave a nice view of the first floor and the city below.

"So how often do you guys come here?" Barry asked, when they were seated comfortably around the long chair that was facing the shooting area.

"Not often." Caitlin said, giggling with Iris when a guy wearing a name tag that said 'Tag' greeted them with, "Hey girls, already here to break that record that you've made last week? You have to let others some chance you know." and then cheerfully went away.

Cisco was gaping at Caitlin and Iris was carefully avoiding Barry's eyes.

"Okay, not 'too' often." She said, smiling sheepishly and Iris laughed.

"So you come here, without Cisco and me and apparently mastered the art of shooting? How could you do that?"

Barry yelped and Iris shrugged.

"Girls night, every other Friday." she said, "Sometimes others join too, like Felicity and Patty."

"They are part of your gun club too??" Barry said, couldn't believing the words he was hearing now and Iris looked at him flatly.

"It's called girl's night out for a reason, Barry. Or you're welcome to join our little club." She said, teasing.

"Betrayer." Barry said, which only earned the laughs of his (ex)bestfriend and his (ex)sister.

"They sell drinks here?"

Joe said incredulously when Tag brought them a menu for the drinks, and Caitlin shook her head. "Only non-alcohol, they aren't crazy."

"This place looks a lot different than what I imagined." Cisco said, who was already getting a drink with sugar on top and that came with a little yellow umbrella for himself and Lisa. 

"How could I have not known this place? This place is great!" the engineer said, looking around the place and beaming. 

"Let's just say, the combination of best journalist, researcher and hacker in the city can be very powerful." Caitlin said, and Barry had to laugh.

"Still, Felicity?" Barry said, to which Caitlin shrugged. "She's our best shooter."

"Wow." Barry said, shaking his head but couldn't help but grinning.

"To think you know people around you." Cisco said, and he looked at Barry.

For Barry, frankly his friend sipping identical yellow umbrella juice next to 8 year old wasn't too impressive either.

"So, how do we do this?" Hartley asked, who looked quite excited to be in a place like this. "I've never shot anything before."

"Like, never?" Lisa chirped, which suspiciously sounded mocking and Hartley looked at the girl incredulously. "I'm a scientist, not a crazy mad shooter."

"Whatever." Lisa said, getting back to her drinks and Barry had to hold back his laugh at the fuming Hartley and a tiny little girl.

"So, how do we get started?" Barry asked, feeling similar excitement bubbling in his chest at the targets. He picked the gun in front of him and examined it when a little hand took it away from him.

Barry looked up and saw Len's cool(amused) face.

"First you have to learn how to hold it right." Len said, his tone really smug and Barry wondered what would happen if he just lightly pinch that cute face(possibly he would get murdered, which would be so not cool).

"Huh?" Barry said a beat late, immersed in his own thoughts and Len raised his eyebrow.

"Your stance before, it gave you no support for the recoil so you fell backwards. You need to fix that Scarlet, if you don't want to bounce around every time you try to shoot the meta guy."

"Kid's right." Joe said, stepping closer to Barry and adjusting Barry's stance, "The gun recoils quite much, so you need to turn your side a little, place one foot one step ahead of another and bend one arm a little."

"Uh huh." Barry said, when another hand suddenly appeared and made Barry's arm straight and made his foot in line with another.

"You'd shoot better in this stance, this is more efficient, and accurate." Len said, voice challenging and Barry realized that the kid wasn't talking to Barry at all.

Barry quickly looke around to Joe, who, unfortunately, was already grinning dangerously at the kid.

"Oh, you think you know better how to shoot a gun than me kid?"

"I know I shoot better than you, old man." Len said, which earned both Cisco's huffs('God he's unbelievable) and Caitlin's hush('Cisco!') and Iris's forced whisper('Will you guys both hush and somebody get me a popcorn? Oh, thank you Tag.')

Barry, who was caught between Len and Joe looked around only to find his friends watch in fascination.

"My son-in-law wannabe used to say that too, you know." Joe said, earning a quirk of eyebrow of Len, "But he lost to me every time, he's a terrible shooter."

Barry knew Joe was lying, Len was not a terrible shooter he was the opposite, but he remembered the times when Joe and Len would bet on a shooting match, costing each of them many beers and crazy bets and honest-to-god childish argues.

"Okay, you got my attention kid." Joe said, who Barry had hoped to act like a grown-up here and stop this already, but didn't seem like he was about to, then said, "Care to make this interesting?"

"Joe!" Barry yelped, but Len was faster and he said,"What do you want?"

Joe grinned devilishly, completely ignoring Barry as well and Barry wanted to strangle both of them, "If I win, I want you to call me 'sir' every time you address me." Joe said.

Len smirked and shrugged.

"'Kay. If I win," Len said, and Iris quickly interrupted, "Nu-huh, you can't ask him about who Barry's boyfriend is, that's cheating."

Len just shrugged at her. "I wasn't going to. I know about that timey whimy stuffs and rules."

Iris sat down again, looking too excited for Barry's taste and Len looked back at Joe.

"If I win," he said again, "Promise to give his boyfriend hell when he comes home to take Scarlet to dates, or comes for family dinners or asks for your permission to marry him one day." Len said, pointing at Barry and Cisco and Hartley almost both squeaked in unison.

This time Iris and Caitlin didn't stop them or punched them because they were busy keeping themselves from bursting out too.

Joe looked at the kid with impressive self-controlled expression and solemnly nodded, saying, "I'll make it my life mission."

Len nodded satisfied, and Barry really wanted to scream at someone. Then Hartley, whose face was red from all his effort not to laugh out loud, raised his hand and said,

"How do we decide who's the better teacher?"

This time Cisco raised his hand. Barry rolled his eyes and said, "You guys don't have to raise hands every time you want to speak."

"How about," Cisco said. (And was Barry delusional or did Cisco just e-mail their pictures to someone?)

"Len teaches Barry how to shoot and Joe teaches Hartley how to shoot, and they have a match to see who gets more scores?"

"But we don't know how well Harltey shoots", Catilin said, but then Lisa said,"Nah" and Hartley seemed like he was about to explode.

Lisa smirked above the umbrella, batting her beautiful eyelashes and it.looked.awesome. Barry loved her and feared her just like he did when she was fully grown.

Cisco stood up, his empty drinks rattling on the table and yelled,

"Okay, let the teaching begin!"

And so it began.


	16. Nobody likes Show-offs

Turned out, both Joe and Len were excellent teachers.

Turned out, their students weren't excellent in anything. 

After an hour of practice, there were broken shards of plates everywhere in the shooting range, and everybody except the two shooters and the teachers were hiding behind their booths or tables. 

"Is it over? Have they shot each other yet?" Cisco yelled when the shooting was done, though he knew perfectly well that both Barry and Hartley could hear him. 

"You guys can come out you know, we ARE aiming at the range, there is no way the plastic bullets are going your ways." Barry said flatly, and his friends were crawling out of their hiding dens. 

"Yeah, you guys are being pathetic." Lisa said, though Barry knew that she was very conveniently hidden behind a large column. 

Even Caitlin and Iris were just poking their heads out to briefly check if Barry and Hartley were still alive, which was insulting because Barry's hit at least dozens of targets by now. 

"You mean Hartley hit your dozen targets." Len said, who looked positively davasted - hey, when did Tag get both Len and Joe safety gears? that wasn't fair - with his student's score so far. 

"You both have terrible shooting skills, you both missed your own targets so much that you scored most of each other's targets."

Barry and Hartley looked at each other, and each other's supposed targets. They were various colored plates, which were now shattered to million pieces with hundreds of BB pistols. 

"We've gotten better." Barry said defensively, to which Hartley nodded eagerly, and this time Len and Joe exchanged quick looks. 

Barry narrowed his eyes at them and both the kid and Joe suspiciously avoided his eyes. 

"We'd tell you scores by how many plates you've hit, but as Len said you guys really didn't distinguish between targets." Iris said, when it seemed like the shooting was on hold for the moment and she came up from the table she was hiding. 

"Our only hope is that you'd be close enough to Wechsler so you wouldn't miss even if you wanted to." Cisco said, and Barry rolled his eyes. 

"And how close that would be?"

"Son, Judging by the shots you've fired during the last hour, I'd say within 15 feet." Joe said with amusement. 

"I'm not that terrible!" Barry said, his face heating, 

"Yes you are Scarlet." Len said, who seemed to have founded strange kind of bond with Joe over their terrible students. 

Barry hated their shared smirks, it reminded of times when they(grown Len and Joe) fought like cats and dogs and then bonded over how Barry was always heads-on to dangers and how it made them crazy and they gossiped about it. In front of Barry. With beers. Like Barry was right there and could hear everything they said. 

"I can't believe how you can miss so much Barry, this isn't really hard you know." Iris said, when Barry finally put the gun down and came next to him, hugged Barry's shoulder briefly and then shot the gun at the target. 

The bullet went straight in the middle. Barry gaped at her. 

"See? Easy. And I shot with my left hand." Iris grinned and Barry had to snicker. "Show-off." 

"So we have to change the plans a little." Hartley said, and Barry looked back at him. 

"What? No, I can still get this right." 

"Barry, if we put a gun to a five year old and make him shoot a speedster, he'd get better score than you do." Iris said, and Barry tried his best not to squeak indignantly like a five year old. 

He looked back at Cisco for support but his friend was caught nodding. 

"The Wechsler is going to come after you with everything he's got once you set target on his back, Flash." Hartley said. 

"Wechsler works alone but he could multiply himself to 10 different people last time he was seen, and his powers are getting stronger everyday." 

"But that was the point with the Slow gun." Barry said,"I can slow him down, and take him down one by one."

He looked at Hartley but the genius shook his head.

"Not if you're this lousy shot." 

"Hey!" Barry yelped, and Hartley only shrugged. 

"So what is your this new brilliant plan?" Barry said, crossing his arms defensively and glaring at particularly nobody. 

"I think what Hartley is trying to say is that we have to divide and conquer, right?" Cisco said, "Flash will do the fighting and catching the evil meta stuffs as usual but this time, we do the shooting part." 

Barry gaped at them in disbelief. 

"Are you saying you guys are going to go out there, shoot the evil duplicates of super-fast meta yourselves?" Barry asked incredulously. "How are you going to do that?"

Then Lisa pushed the buttons and the targets sprung back to life. Everybody grabbed guns in a flash and shot the new plates. 

Every plate in the shooting area was shattered to perfect pieces, and no plate was left standing when the shots were off. 

Barry and Hartley were gaping with their mouths hanging open. 

"Still arguing, Scarlet?" Len said, putting the gun down with satisfied smirk like the rest of them and Barry hated all of them now. 

"... Show-offs." Barry muttered and everybody grinned. Barry really hoped he could make this one alive in one piece when this was all done.


	17. Scary girl made Flash do it.

"So the plan seems to be going well," Joe said, sitting next to Barry and Len by the table who were working on the city's map that was marked and pinned in various information. 

Team Flash has been marking and tracking Wechsler's s movements, logging his abilities and anticipating his next attacks. 

Now that they had actual logs of how the meta acted, they had much better time dealing with the haphazard accidents and crimes that were happening in the city. Which helped a lot, but they still had problems. 

"How long do you think until Wechsler realizes that we caught onto him?" Barry asked, stretching his arms and shrugging, "Now that we know that he's one person and that he's a super-meta?"

"Soon." Len said, looking down at the footage from the last scene where the Flash had saved people from multiple places in the city. 

"Flash had arrived at the scene in less than 20 seconds to each place, effectively stopping whatever crimes or accidents that were happening mysteriously at the same time by different criminals." 

"Uh huh. That makes sense." Joe said, looking impressed at Len's remark which kid didn't notice because he was busying looking down at the maps. 

Barry had to grin at Joe's expression and Joe tried to straighten his face as soon as he noticed Barry watching him, but it was too late. 

"He's timing." Len said, and Barry and Joe looked at the kid. 

"What?" Barry asked, and Len pointed at the footage on the monitor. 

"Here, here and here. He timed you until you arrived, and he definitely knows that you've cut a lot of time since the first time you've dealt with this simultaneous happenings." 

Barry and Joe had looked over Len's head to meet eyes with Barry and Barry knew what they were thinking. 

It was almost scarily uncanny how even ten year old could notice and analyze other criminal's act of crime. 

"So he'll figure out that Barry's caught onto him, and he'll find out that Barry knows who he is," Joe said, 

"Then he'll come out swinging." Len answered. 

"Then we do need those super guns that the tech guys are making, fast." Joe muttered and Barry had to agree. 

Hartley and Cisco have been working together to modify Slow guns and Wechsler's multiplication numbers seemed to grow with everyday. 

Time seemed critical factor here and Cisco had said that he'd finish the Slow guns by the weekend with frustrated face. 

That was last Friday and it was weird that Cisco and Hartley were both not here in Starlabs Monday morning. 

Working with Hartley didn't seem to work out best for both of the geniuses and Caitlin was looking close to tearing both geeks' head off by the end of Friday night. 

"Iris, where's Cisco and Caitlin?" Barry asked her who was just coming to join them on the table and Iris knitted her eyebrows. 

"Well, Cait called me this morning, said something about stupid pride and I think he mentioned Hartley and Cisco too." Iris said, and Lisa looked up at the mention of the tech guy's name. 

"You mean they got into a fight?"

"I don't think so.. She sounded annoyed but she said she'd take care of it." 

"I wonder what happened with those two." Len muttered and that's when Caitlin's voice shouted, "This happened!"

Everybody looked back. Barry opened his mouth but no sound came out. 

".. Whhh." 

Barry cleared his voice. 

"What happened?!" Barry finally managed to squeak, and sped to Caitlin and his friend's side as soon as he got to his senses. He heard Lisa's breath hitch and even he had hard time recognizing his friend's face. 

".. I have a sty in my eye." Cisco (or who looked like Cisco) said painfully. 

"That doesn't look like a sty." Len said, and Cisco glared at the kid. Or, at least that's what Barry suspected his friend was aiming for. 

"It is a sty, and it's a bad one." Cisco gritted, and Joe shrugged. "No kidding."

Cisco's left eye, which looked like he was punched by a Hulk and was swollen horribly was even painful to just look at. Barry didn't know what to do and just gave a sympathetic pat to his friend's shoulder and Cisco stuttered to the seat on the table with the help of his friends. 

"Are you sure that is a sty?" Lisa asked, looking horrified and Cisco slowly nodded, which seemed strained and he quickly stopped the motion. 

"That's a definite sty and he's been holding onto it for the whole weekend." Caitlin said, to which Cisco cowered like a scolded kid. 

"You didn't go to see a doctor?" Barry asked incredulously and Cisco huffed. 

"I did go, and she's still mad at me." Cisco protested, but Caitlin scoffed at him. 

"Oh, You had that little sty since the start of the week, you procrastinated for the whole week and when it blew out of proportion during the weekend you didn't come to see me!" Caitlin's voice was now making Barry worry if she'll summon dolphins from the beach. 

"And you could have asked Hartley for help and he could have helped you finish Slow guns by now!"

Cisco was now practically hugging Barry in order to lean as far away from shrilling scientist and Barry supported his friend's arms. He felt for Cisco. 

Caitlin could be scary when she was pissed when one of them got hurt or ill and didn't let her examine it fully and take care of it, and no man could survive her wrath when she was like this, having superpower or not. 

"So, he's going to be okay?" Barry asked, looking down at his friend's swollen- what used to be- eye, and Caitlin huffed down.

"Yes. His eyes will come back to normal, I just gave him antibiotics and shot just before I dragged him here." 

"But what about the guns?" Joe said, who watched this whole drama with his arms crossed his chest. 

"Wechsler could copy himself to 10 different people two weeks ago, now he's gone up as 20. The longer we wait, the more powerful he gets."

"We need Hartley." Iris said, and Cisco flinched. Both Iris and Caitlin turned to him. 

"What?"

"It's just that.. we got into a fight?" Cisco said, 

".. A little fight?" Cisco squeaked and now that there's two of scary pair of eyes trained on him Barry wanted to abandon his friend and run away as well. 

"And?" Iris said, her voice scarily sweet. 

"I.. We.. He might have said something about never wanting to help with our work, ever again?"

"Cisco!" Joe and Iris and Caitlin were all shouting at the same time and Cisco shook his head. 

"Wechler's multiplying, and the longer it takes to build that guns, the more risk we're putting Barry into." Len said, and Cisco looked so sorry that even without the sty he looked in pain. 

"I could still finish rest of the work." He said hopefully, and Caitlin huffed. 

"Please. You're practically half blind. You bumped into three different doors just coming down here." 

"Wait," Iris suddenly said and held up her hand. Everybody looked at her and she slowly turned to Barry. Barry blinked as she smiled beautifully at him. 

"There's still a way to make this right."

"I'm feeling like I don't want to know the answer to that question," Barry said, slowly stepping away from his sister. 

"We know we're under clock, we know what could turn Hartley back around, and it won't be too hard." Iris said, and Barry now definitely didn't like what she was going to say. 

"You have to charm your way through this one, Barry. You can turn Hartley around." 

"Oh God." Barry muttered, palming his face.


	18. Barry needs new friends

It was like the world hated Barry. 

"Wha- How- Ow! Iris! Stop pinching me!" Barry glared at the girls who were pushing him down the hall. Caitlin and Iris were both holding death grip on his arms and it was really beginning to be scary. 

Sometimes Barry wondered if they could fight the super meta-powered villains themselves, and they wouldn't need the Flash at all. 

"Ow ow ow, stop! You're both crazy! I can't just turn Hartley's mind around, I can't do that!" Barry yelped, glaring at two women who were like crazy big sisters he never had and wish he had(and right now really really didn't wish he had). 

Iris rolled her eyes at him. 

"Don't be so coy Barry, I saw you with the Cold." Caitlin said who was also rolling her eyes. Seriously, what was with those eye rolls? And how have they mastered that so perfectly? (He suspected Lisa) 

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Barry crunched up his nose and the women both shared a look. 

"That," Iris said, pointing at Barry's face, "Is what I'm talking about."

"What?"

Iris huffed. 

"You use your puppy eyes, bat your eyelashes and looks at Len and he's out of control."

"He doesn't- Len doesn't-" Barry spluttered, "When did you guys start thinking like that?" Barry said incredulously and both women rolled their eyes again. Barry scowled. "And stop doing that!"

"His face loosens when you look at him like that, with those big green eyes and he's halfway gearing up to make an entire grand plan to achieve whatever you wish or destroy whatever made you sad." 

"He doesn't do that. He's like an ice sculpture. Extremely handsome ice sculpture, to be honest, with nice abs and smile." Barry said. 

"Ugh, stop. You can't even keep a straight face while talking about him." Iris deadpanned and Barry had the decency to look sheepish for a moment. 

"But still, he's still Cold and he makes fun of me, taunts me and throws these god-awful puns that are frankly couldn't have survived if he didn't look like that!" 

"You're an idiot." Iris said flatly, and Barry looked at Caitlin for support. But Caitlin looked at Barry with such adoration and same annoyance that mirrored Iris and said, "You are, Barry." And Barry gave up. 

"I once saw him walk into a wall once when you smiled at him, Barry. And that was even BEFORE you finally realized he was flirting with you and BEGAN to acknowledge the fact that the villain was checking your behind every time you met."

"I don't know that, when did he do that?" Barry scrunched up his forehead and Iris nodded next to Barry. 

"Ah yes, that footage."

"What footage?" Barry yelped, as the women continued to ignore him. 

"Cisco showed that to us, we decided to keep that secret from you for Cold's sake." Caitlin explained to Barry, like Barry was a very slow child and Barry felt annoyed. ANNOYED. 

"Cisco was part on your evil team? Cisco?" Barry yelled, looking behind the hall where his half blind friend poorly attempted to hide behind a wall and failed miserable by bumping into one. 

"Sorry Barry! But we did get a very nice things from Cold that day." Cisco yelled, and Barry looked sharply back at his friends. 

"What things?" 

"Oh, we might have," Iris said,"And could have," Caitlin said, 

"kindofblackmailedyourcurrentboyfriendwiththefootagewehavehad?" Iris said, looking at Barry with those eyes that she knew Barry had weak spot for and hoping that Barry might not have got it. 

Barry did. 

"I can speak speed-talking you know, you're literally talking to the one person on the earth who can actually get every word you just said in slow, normal speed." Barry said, rolling his eyes. 

"Hey, don't do that!" Iris said, slapping his arm and Barry scowled again. 

"So you blackmailed my boyfriend? With the footage?"

"To our credit," said Cisco suddenly grabbed Barry from behind and Barry yelped and looked back at his friend. Seriously his friend's eye looked scary up close. 

"He wasn't your boyfriend at the time." 

"So you blackmailed the the supervillain I was fighting, the arch-nemesis to the Flash, with the video image that you caught him doing some stupid thing." 

'- Ogling your backside when you weren't looking', Cisco said helpfully, 

"And you had no problem selling out my behind to Cold for a bribe." Barry ended, ignoring Cisco's snicker. 

"If it helps you feel better, your behind gave us one month meal at the Plaza, new set of tech gears for Cisco, I got tickets for the cell reproduction convention in Switzerland and 10 days hotel packages, and ten very nice shoes for Iris." Caitlin said and Barry scowled.

"And how's that supposed to make me feel better?" 

Iris shrugged. "You were NOT a cheap sale, my friend." 

Barry glared all of them. 

"I don't know why I'm friends with you all. You guys are evil and you blackmailed my boyfriend." 

"Because you love us and you secretly kind of feel good that your boyfriend was ogling your behind long before you knew it?" Iris said and Barry shook his head and mumbled, "Who says 'Ogle'?"

"Oh, if you saw the footages we've watched, you'd know the word." 

Barry huffed out laughter then he realized, 

"Wait, there were more than one of them?"

Barry turned around sharply but he was cut out by Iris pulling him close. Barry looked at her with wide eyes as she grabbed his shoulder. 

"Listen. You're gonna get Harltey to agree to help Cisco build the Slow gun and you're gonna make it."

"You guys are awful, awful friends, you know that?" Barry said, and Iris smiled before she tossed him into the room. Before Barry could open his mouth another voice spoke to him. 

"Flash?"

"Um..." Barry looked at Hartley's expectant eyes as the scientist looked up from the table he was working on. 

Barry really wanted to quit, but when he flicked his eyes to the corner of the entrance he saw his friends were making scary gestures with their hand and faces. 

Maybe he really needed to start searching for new friends after all.


	19. Hartley vs little Snarts

"What are you doing here, Flash?" Hartley asked, and Barry quickly scrambled for plans. He had none.

"Um.. just checking in?" Barry said, which sounded like question to his own ears and Barry cringed internally.

Luckily Hartley didn't seem to mind the company and grinned at him.

"Getting lonely, are we now?"

Barry gave him a look but there was no heat. The grin was infectious and Barry smiled too.

"It's Barry you know, you don't have to call my codename everytime you speak to me."

"Well, it's a codename, and it's cooler and sexier to call you that." Hartley said, shrugging. Barry furrowed his eyebrows. "Sexier?"

Hartley shrugged again. Barry decided to put the thing down for the moment.

"So hey, what are you doing now?" Barry asked, deciding that now he had nowhere else to retreat. Hartley looked at him with perceptive eyes for a moment as the speedster came near the table.

"I'm working on the Slow gun remodification."

Barry blinked before he caught on. "Oh."

"Oh?" Hartley grinned like he knew what Barry was thinking.

"You thought you needed to convince me with everything you've got to help Ramon the modification, right?"

Barry gaped at him for a moment. "Are you a mind reader?"

"No, but my earpiece helps me hear things across the near walls and Miss West and Caitlin doesn't have exactly small voice."

Barry sighed knowing there was no point denying it. "Yeah, they don't."

Hartley laughed.

"So, when are you going to start your thing?"

Barry blinked. "My thing?"

"Yes, the girls sent you here to seduce me into helping Ramon, right?"

Barry thought his heart literally stopped for a moment. He looked at 398 different spots before he finally looked back at Hartley(though it took less than a second) and said, "Yes?"

Hartley shrugged.

"You really can't lie, can you?" Hartley said, his voice annoyed and amused at the same time and Barry wanted to disappear at superspeed.

Hartley turned around and Barry grabbed his arm without thinking. When Hartley looked at him, he let go of it.

"That's- but I meant when I said I'm grateful." Barry said, and Hartley halted, looking back at him. Barry got the courage and continued,

"Iris and Caitlin- they can get heated and crazy sometimes but they are nice people. You already know Caitlin and Iris is my sister. And if you get to know her, I'm sure that you'll like her. And so does she when she gets to know you. And I'm really glad that you're helping us out."

Hartley was looking at him for a long minute and Barry was getting nervous. But when he looked at Hartley's face, he wasn't scowling or frowning. He was grinning.

"My god, look at you Flash, you should see your face right now. I'm the one who was almost seduced by the evil plot and you're the one with that sorry face. And I think those women were right."

Barry blinked.

"What?"

"They send you alone here, and believe that if you just bat your big doey eyes at me and ask, I'll have no power to deny you." Hartley said. Barry looked at him.

"That's.."

"And they're right!" Hartley said, and Barry stepped back startled.

"They're right because I can't say no to those damn eyes, damn Flash! If you are going to put people who are using their powers for evil purposes you should walk right up to Iron Heights yourself. You're like a supervillain. With damn puppy eyes. Puppy eyed fucking supervillain. Using those eyes and lips to make people fall helplessly for you."

Barry stared at Hartley.

"... You do know I'm standing here. Right in front of you, right? It's really flattering, but---"

Hartley glared at Barry unscathingly.

"I pity Cold. He's got it worst."

"Um. Thanks?" Barry couldn't help but grin happily at Hartley and Hartley bit his lips to make himself stop smiling back.

Damn. He really had weak spot for cute and adorable. Barry's smile was like a punch in the gut.

Barry scratched the back of his head and looked sheepishly at Hartley.

"If it's any help, I think your eyes are beautiful too." Barry said, "Not because the evil sisters told me to, but I really think so."

"Oh." Hartley seemed momentarily taken aback. His grin grew somehow sheepish. "You really think so?"

Hartley seemed really happy and Barry smiled. Until he realized Hartley had stopped talking and he had pushed Barry into the nearby wall.

"Uh, Hartley?" Barry squeaked.

"But we're not gonna kiss!" Barry sped out of his reach and gaped at the man. Hartley shrugged and batted his eyes. "Please?"

"No!" Barry burst out laughing and Hartley grinned too.

"Damn Flash."

Barry grinned back at him. "The answer's still no."

Hartley shrugged.

"Well, you can't blame a guy for trying."

Barry looked at Hartley, and he felt weight off his chest.

"So you're gonna help us, right?"

"Right."

"And play nice with the Snart kids."

Hartley made a point looking at the speedster.

"Now who's pushing it?"

Barry grinned and Hartley grumbled.

"I totally don't get why Cold fell for you. You look hideous when you smile."

It only made Barry smile wider.

"But seriously, I hope Cisco warned you. They are not just cute and cuddly kids like they look."

"Well, looks like I'll soon find out." Hartley said, nodding toward the door and Barry saw a familiar little faces popping from the entrance.

"Barr?" Lisa said, looking curiously inside Hartley's lab and meeting Barry's eyes. Len was right beside his sister,

looking at both Barry and Hartely.

Barry stood up, walking towards the little girl.

"Yes Lis?"

Lisa, who seemed to sense the friendly vibe going on between the two men, came near and looked up at Barry with her huge brown eyes and Barry automatically felt his heart grow bigger.

"Cait asked you to come and get check-up." Lisa said, pulling Barry's hand towards the exit and Len followed.

"Okay, thanks." Barry said and turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and Barry?" Hartley said and Barry looked back at him.

"Yes?"

Hartley smiled like a Cheshire cat and nodded at him.

"Thanks for the compliment. It was really flattering."

Barry rolled his eyes but smiled and left the room. But Lisa closed the door behind him and Barry looked back confused. He gaped at the closing door and said,

"Wait, you're not coming with m-?"

The door thumped closed in front of the speedster's face.

There was this eery silence in the room with Hartley staring at the two kids by the door when they slowly turned around.

If Hartley made a mental note to the secret escape routes to the exits, it was certainly not because he was feeling scared.

Len turned around, and slowly walked toward the table and Hartley was suddenly reminded of the time when he saw how the older version of the kid had sauntered toward the Rogues or a crime scene and how he dominated whichever place he entered.

Len had looked casual back then and now too, but the unique charisma that called for attention was identical, making Harltey think for a brief moment if Cisco had been right to whisper words of fear and horror of the kids.

"What compliments?"

Len asked, his voice quite friendly and he was grinning boyishly but Hartley wasn't fooled. It was predatory and he knew it.

"Nothing." Hartley said and this time Lisa came near with her sweet sweet smile.

"But we're curious. You guys seemed really friendly and we want to know what made Barry and you so happy."

"Oh, you know," Hartley said, looking at the way Len had found a small sharp piece of metal on the table and rolled it between his fingers in fluid motion.

"He just said that he thinks my eyes are beautiful, and I thought we had a little moment before you guys walked in here, but it was nothing, really nothing."

As soon as he blurted out, he knew his mistake. 

Len tilted his head, looking at him in ways that Hartley had faced when his older version had found out that the scientist had a secret crush on Flash.

"You know he has a boyfriend, right?" Lisa said, crossing her arms and suddenly Hartley breathed, because hey, they really were kids and they knew nothing about the present and it was a definite point that he could use for his advantage.

"Yes, I'm familiar with the man." Hartley said, making a point in raising his eyebrow. "But all's fair in love and war, right?"

And seeing the little faces that haven't quite mastered the perfect poker face that their older-selves had mastered, Hartley finally felt like his self again and grinned smugly. 

They really were kids after all and he totally had the upper hand here.

Len and Lisa exchanged looks and then stared at Hartley but this time Hartley didn't flinch. And that was when Cisco and Caitlin came walking into the room with Barry.

"Uh oh." Cisco said, as soon as he entered the room.

"What's happening?"

"All's fair in love and war." Len said slowly, looking straight at Hartley and Cisco's gulping sound was audible across the room.

Len's grin slowly spread across his face and it was cute and terrifying at the same time.

"I believe that's true."

"... Am I delusional or was that Snart just declaring war on Hartley?" Cisco whispered to his friends and they stayed quiet.


	20. Let it go (part 1 of Hartley vs. little Snarts)

It started when Hartley had put a hand on Barry's shoulder.

While Len and Lisa were in the room.

When the little Snarts were watching him in a murderous glare that would have made their older-selves proud.

It started when Hartley had feigned that he had eyelash in his eyes, and asked Barry to blow it. And it happened when as concerned Barry leaned in to check the scientist's eye, he held the speedster's waist insisting he had trouble seeing and had to hold onto something.

It started when Hartley might have leaned a bit too closely, and though he knew perfectly well that it might seem to the little Snarts like he was trying to kiss Barry, he didn't stop taunting them and exaggerated pain when Barry tried to pull away and asked him if he was sure there was eyelash in his eye.

After all, they were just kids and what were they going to do, hit him with their cute little fists or run crying for help to Barry's friends?

This was going to be so easy, Hartley thought as he watched from the corner of the eyes as the two kids glared daggers at him and focused on the man in front of him.

Meanwhile, he could just enjoy both baiting the kids and having a delightful time counting different colors in the eyes of the beautiful man in front of him. 'I could get used to this,' Hartley thought.

So when Hartley had found Len who was looking at him in deep, eery calm grin, there was no way that Hartley had found out what that smile truly meant.

Nor was Barry able to tell him that the smile was a code Red degree, meaning full carpet bombing and nuclear vengeance that promised so much pain to its intended.

And so Hartley had no idea.

 

 

It was like watching a disaster. You wish to tear your eyes away but can't, and you just keep watching.

"Cisco," Hartely said, his voice dripping with definite intent of murder, "Where are they?"

"Huh?"

Cisco, along with three other people in the room who were sitting on the long chair and watched in gleeful horror as the scientist walk in with covered in sticky goos and feathers and honest to god- looked like a crazy hen who just escaped its hen house, answered dazedly.

Seriously, the sight of Hartley in full feather form was too much. Cisco might have been out of breath and maybe in tears, but he managed to order inhouse system to record and save every footage in the lab since Hartley had walked in. This was going to make Cisco's secret album business(which was booming incredibly and was approached by so many superhero societies) so much better.

"Are, are you okay?" Iris, who was sitting next to Cisco and was holding onto him for dear life, managed to squeak between catching her breath(and tears) and the look Hartley gave her could have frozen a desert.

"I walked 24 blocks in this form, was taken pictures of and heard chicken noises god knows how many times, my facebook profile picture looks like I'm a 90 year old Grammy, and my shoes are filled with sticky jello, and my alarm clock, my cell phone ringtone, my house phone, my i-pad and my intercoms are permanently frozen on Frozen soundtrack. I had to smash them all to stop their eternal play loop." Hartely snarled, "If I hear one more verse of that damned song..."

Then he realized that the three people were watching him in utter silence.

"What?"

"You have a facebook account?" Cisco asked at the same time Iris asked "Which song?" and Caitlin asked "Can we see the picture?"

Hartley glared at the three people.

"Right now, there is nothing else in my mind other than total apocalyptic vengeance."

Cisco shrugged and Caitlin smiled apologetically and Iris kept looking at Hartley intently, looking deep in thought.

"So where are those devil-incarnated kids? Because I swear I'll show them what happens when they mess with multi-million dollar heir and a single most brilliant minded genius, I'll show them-"

Right then like waiting for a que, Len and Lisa appeared from the doorway and Hartley whirled around to face them, causing the hen feathers to manically flutter and almost tripped on himself.

"You," Hartley snarled, though the impact might have been scarier if he didn't have to spit out feathers from his mouth, "You, you little evil monsters, you--"

Len, who was looking cool(really, how can ten year old look that self-assured and confident?) raised his eyebrow at the fumbling fuming crazy chicken man in front of him.

"Rathaway. Looks like you made the trip." The kid smirked at Hartley and walked right past him, taking a seat at the table where Cisco and the girls were gaping at them in utter amusement and horror.

"I- I didn't- I didn't just make the trip, I had to walk 24 blocks in this miserable chicken feathers and you---"

"Why did you walk all the way down here?" Len asked, feigning genuine interest and concern and Hartley exploded.

"Because you robbed my car!"

"And how could I have done that?" Len said innocently, shrugging.

"You took out the wheels, the hood, the plug and the engine!" Hartley shrieked.

"Oh," Len said, grinning charmingly, "That must have been inconvenient."

"Why didn't you take a cab?" Caitlin asked next to him and Hartley turned around at her.

"LOOK AT ME." Hartley breathed, gesturing at himself and really Cisco would have felt bad for the guy had it not been so funny.

"Oh, you made the trip, impressive." Lisa said, who next walked past the fuming scientist and was now taking seat between Len and Cisco, "I said you'd give up and go back home after 3 blocks but seems like you're made of stronger stuff than I thought." Lisa said in a singsong voice, smiling so sweetly.

"Looks like he's made of mostly eggs and feathers." Cisco said, to which Iris had almost squeaked so high it must have hurt a little.

"You know what?" Hartley said, growling at the kids who were doing damn good job looking both totally innocent angels and devils at the same time, "This means war, and you'll pay dearly for this, and you're going to rue the day when you thought you could mess with me."

Len grinned at him, in perfect poise and calmness with a hint of amused smugness.

"You won't win." Len said, as Hartley walked to his desk and grabbed his laptop and a backpack.

"And why would that be?" Hartley gritted, now fully turning around on Len, "I'm the one with the super smart brain here, and I have upper hand of knowing Barry's boyfriend, Cold." Hartley said, as he opened his laptop. 

"And you have nothing." Hartley smirked, "Sorry little kid, but you'll never win this-"

Then there was this whisper, a song? coming out from his laptop.

'The snow glows white on the mountain tonight-'

"Oh god." Iris whispered quickly, and they all saw the genius break down in front of them.

"No." Hartely who became pale like he saw a ghost, gasped and pressed down the keyboards maniacally.

"Make it stop."

'Not a footprint to be seen-'

Hartley snapped shut the laptop but somehow the computer kept singing and it got louder. Hartley screamed, dropped it, stomped on it and ran to another room, came back with a bat and smashed it till it finally broke down to smithereens.

The poor machine's last words before it was destroyed was 'Let the storm rage on---' and there was utter silence in the room.

Everybody looked back at Len and Len grinned.

"You know the rest of the lyrics."

Hartley broke down, and laughed and screamed hysterically out of the room.

"I think maybe this is the moment when Len Snart might have decided to go evil." Iris slowly whispered to her friends and everybody nodded.


	21. So, Truce? (part 2 of Hartley vs. little Snarts)

"Barry," Hartley said, and the speedster turned around to look at the genius who was making unusually kind expression, 

"Yeah, Hartley?"

"Can I come to the next crime scene with you? For research purposes? I think I can find extra traces of Wechsler if I could get hands on the meta energy residue at the crime scene." 

"Oh, okay. That'd be great." Barry smiled and turned around. He didn't see the way Hartley gave the little Snarts a triumphant grin and the siblings gave him a death stare. 

At the crime scene, when the Flash was hit by a tail of the meta-woman, Hartley shot his own sonic punch at the meta and caught the speedster by his waist. 

Hartley grinned down at the speedster, his stance a little wobbly due to the fact that Barry was a tall man and he was not technically an athletic person, but he managed to shoot a quick grin at the speedster who reflexively hooked his arms around Hartley's neck in order not to fall down. 

"Wow, this pose is just perfect. Now can I get that kiss now, Flash?"

"No!"

Barry said as Hartley wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, but both men were laughing as Hartley's arms and legs finally gave out and they both crumbled onto the pavement. 

Hartley knew perfectly well that the Snarts were watching the feeds from the street right now, grinding their cute little teeth. 

'Game on, little kids.' Hartley thought, as he quickly shot a knowing smile at the security camera that he knew the little kids were watching. 

 

 

".... is there any chance that you guys didn't see that?" 

At the Starlabs, Cisco whispered as the kids were shooting death glare at the monitor. 

 

*** 

 

"Scarlet," Len asked, his voice nonchalant and suspiciously kind. 

Barry was still hazy from the two hour nap that he took on the couch, his eyes sleepy and fighting to stay open. 

He barely had any sleep last night due to Wechsler's yet another havoc and he was tired to the bones. 

The blankets and hot cocoa that Len and Lisa brought him were acting like a sleeping pill, dragging Barry into the welcoming braces of warmth and haze. 

"Hmmm. Yes, Len?" 

"Would you be terribly sad," Len said, looking into his cellphone, "If Hartley were to be missing? Like... for a couple of days? Or a week?"

"Hmm. I guess I'll miss him." Barry said, his brain let alone his mouth were working conscious and he smiled sleepily to his cushion. 

"He'll be alive and well in a deserted island for a few days. I'm thinking tropical." 

Len's voice was low and soft and it pushed Barry's mind deeper into the lucid haze. 

"That'd be nice. Tell him to send a postcard." 

"Gotcha."

Len smirked and sent some text. He patted Barry on the arm and grabbed a fallen blanket to tuck Barry nicely and Barry smiled gratefully while still not able to open his eyes. 

Len's quiet footstep left the room and Barry was about to fall asleep again. 

Then Barry eyes opened wide. The room was still warm but Barry was more awake now than before. Barry looked around to see the now empty Cortex where Len was a moment ago. 

"... Wait, what?" 

 

** 

 

Hartley was on the news that day. 

Apparently he was found on the shipment to a tropical island and was found by a bunch of policemen who were busting smuggling case. 

He made the headline, as Barry and all the Starlabs family gathered around the screen to watch when the man himself burst into the Cortex, fuming and glaring at the kids. 

"You kids!!" Hartley shrieked. 

"Oh. You got away. Again. ...Yay!" Lisa said, her voice weird combination between fake joy and disapproval. Hartley looked like he was about to burst. 

"You tried to ship me to Madagascar!" Hartley screamed. "Who does that?!"

Len shrugged. 

"Cisco showed us the film, and we thought it looked nice." 

"Hey little Snart, don't drag me into this." 

"You showed us the pamphlet, Cisco." 

Len said, and both Hartley and Barry turned around to look accusingly at the scientist. Cisco quickly shrunk behind Lisa who smiled innocently. 

"Now this really has to stop." Barry said, looking both at Hartley and the little Snarts, though he had to hand it to the kids, the way kids found ways to make life hell for Hartley for the past few days were really impressive. 

"Nobody ship anyone to anywhere anymore. And nobody tries to kiss me or pat me down if they're not my boyfriend." 

"But--" 

Both parties opened their mouth in protest but Barry quickly shot them stern gaze. One adult and two little kids closed their mouth like a clam. 

"You guys need to learn to be friends because you are all my important friends and I like both of you, and this is getting out of control. So, will you behave?" 

Barry saw Hartley, Len and Lisa quickly glancing each other over himself. There were a few silent expressions, to which Len shrugged and Hartley threw his hands in the air and motioned something undecipherable with his hands. 

It went on for a while. Then finally both parties looked back at Barry and shrugged. 

"So..." Barry slowly said, unable to understand what the hell went between the two, "... you guys good?"

"Yes, Scarlet. We're good." Len said, his tone carefully neutral and Barry narrowed his eyes at him. The boy smirked and Barry decided it was the best he could get. 

"Good." Barry smiled, turning around to grab his jacket and go. Len abruptly opened his mouth, 

"Oh, Scarlet, don't touch that---" 

Barry realized he grabbed the wrong jacket, it was Hartley's, and the moment he lifted the jacket from the chair, it triggered something thin and silvery in the air and when Barry and others followed it to the ceiling, 

"No." Iris whispered, 

There were dozens of balloons on the ceiling that started to burst before she could close her mouth. 

Thousands of confetti showered down, making the whole lab covered in tiny rainbow shreds. 

Barry, who got most of the confetti because he was at the source of the explosion was almost invisible in the mountain of confetti. 

Joe and Iris and generally everybody were speechless as the confetti shaped like Barry opened its mouth, and closed it, and then opened it again. 

Nobody dared to speak. 

"... You three," said Barry-like confetti man, "...are going to stay here and clean this up, and stay the night here." 

"Barry, we're sorry---" 

Lisa began but the confetti man stopped her with his hand, somehow maintaining a shred of dignity for a man made out of pure paper shreds. 

"Not. Another. Word." 

".... ....." 

Lisa closed her mouth and peeped at her brother, who for this once, looked truly guilty and sorry. 

Then the Barry-shaped confetti man slowly and awkwardly walked out of the lab, leaving trails of rainbow confetti and the stunned Starlab families in the cortex. 

Joe who was just entering the lab halted at the doorway halted in surprise as the confetti man walked away and then turned around to the silent gaping group. 

"Woah, who was that?... What the hell happened here?" Joe asked, and everybody just shook their heads.


	22. Hartley is secretly melting inside (No he's not)

Len, Lisa and Harltey had stayed after everybody left the Starlabs that day, Lisa mournfully watched as Barry left with others, as people parted waving their hands. Caitlin and Cisco had given her sympathetic smile, but eventually everybody left and only the three were left at the entrance. 

When they turned back, they were faced with the absolute wreckage of the main hall. 

"... How are we ever going to finish this?" Hartley sighed, looking horrified. 

Plan, divide and operate. Len said, crossing his arms and scanning the area with a thoughtful stare. 

".. I'd say about one hour and thirty five minutes." 

Hartley looked down at the kid in disbelief. 

"How can you possibly know that?" 

"You wanna bet?" Len asked, raising his eyebrow in a perfect taunting way. 

Hartley thought for a moment, and then shrugged. 

"Meh, what have I got to lose," he muttered and followed Len. 

And they began cleaning. 

 

*** 

 

The little Snarts and Hartley glanced at each other, than turned around and started cleaning up the mess. 

It took them exactly One hour and forty two minutes and thirty two seconds to finish cleaning, and when they finally did, they stood side by side, admiring their work. 

"Snart." 

Hartley nodded to Len and Lisa. 

"Rathaway." 

Len and Lisa nodded back. 

"We really did it." 

The three stared at the now clean lab, with glinting floor and confetti-less feather-less cleanness. 

There was this strange comradery formed between the three now, inexplanable in words but it was there. 

"So we have to stay the night here, huh?" Hartley said, and then shrugged. 

"You guys can have the couch. You can let your sister sleep on it." 

This made Len look at Hartley in disbelief. 

"Really?" 

Hartley shrugged. 

"Meh. I can sleep under the desk. I'll survive." 

Len and Hartley looked at each other, and there was definite new comradery there. 

"Or," Lisa said, popping out from absolutely nowhere. "We can all sleep on the couch." 

"Lis, as small as you all, we can't all fit on that couch." Len said, rolling his eyes but Lisa, with impressive eyeroll that even put Len's to shame, grabbed each of their hands and dragged them to the sofa. 

"Not if I can help it, come and see!" 

The guys begrudgingly let the little girl drag them to the couch and what they saw was--- 

"Amazing, right?" Lisa chirped, her little face filled with pride. 

Lisa had made a tent with blankets, the one children build as their fortress in their rooms. Hartley gaped and Len quickly shushed him with his eyes. 

"This is great, Lis, great job." Len said, and even Hartley had to admit what a nice older brother Captain Cold was to his young sister. 

But it didn't mean that he would play along, he was fully grown man, had almost twice the average IQ amongst meager humans, he had multiple PhD for god's sake, he was not playing playing house with a couple of ten year olds. 

 

 

"... So that's the Orion, and that's the Winged Horse."

Lisa said, pointing up at the ceiling of the Cortex on which there was supposed to be imaginary constellation. But there wasn't any imaginary one, because Hartley had set up an beam projector and connected it to NASA's real-time moving galaxy projection in HD. 

Hartley so hated himself right now. 

"And what's that?" 

Len asked, pointing at the ceiling and failing too hard to hide his amusement in Hartley's expense. 

"That's.. um... that's.. What's that Hartley?" Lisa asked, her face scrunched. 

"The Scorpius." Hartley said, as there was no point trying to gather his dignity now that he was lying next to the two kids under the blanket tent staring up at the beautiful HD projection of the galaxy. 

"Yes, thanks Hartley. Lenny, they're the Scorpius." Lisa said happily. 

"Yes, I can see that now." 

Len smirked and nodded to Hartley. 

"You're not so bad, Hartley." 

"You're not so bad kid yourself, Snart." 

Len shrugged, well as best as he could in a lying position. 

"Nah, you can call me Len." Len said, and Lisa turned her head and smiled brightly at Hartley too, chirping, "And you can call me Lis, too."

That made Hartley halt for a moment. The Snart siblings both grinned at the stunned scientist. 

"You're secretly moved right now, aren't you?" Len said, smirking. 

"Yeah, you're melting inside a little, aren't you?" Lisa said, totally mimicking her brother's smirk. 

Hartley put a pillow on his face to hide his expression. 

"Urghhh. You kids are evil." 

"Will you tell us who Cold is?" 

"...Never."


	23. Wechsler's greetings

It was going so well. They started doing Hartley's plan, they divided groups and accompanied Flash to the various crime scenes and shot slow guns at the multiple speeding disguisers. 

The team worked perfectly, especially now that Hartley was somehow in good terms with both the Snart kids and even Hartley and Cisco started to (however reluctantly) get along. 

Citizens of the city were at first dumbfounded by the villains' new found speed, and their concern grew once the Starlabs members started coming to the crime scenes with huge speed guns blazing Ghostbusters theme song(Cisco insisted), but they welcomed as they worked with Flash to fight the evil duplicate speedsters and bring down the crime rates. 

Barry had to admit, they were quite impressive marksmen, especially Len and Lisa, who Barry had set his foot down not to come to dangerous crimes scenes but they snuck into Caitlin's vans somehow and managed to shoot ten different duplicates anyway, saving Flash's ass so many times. 

Len had looked so smug and Lisa seemed like a little puppy waiting for a praise, that the Flash had to bite down his inner cheek to grin stupidly at the kids during the dangerous metahuman fights. 

It went on for like a week, until one day, when Barry came out of his apartment to see Wechsler himself standing casually on the sidewalk. 

"Hello, Barry." Wechsler said, and Barry halted, even with his superspeed it took him time to stop gaping at the man and finally respond. 

"Wechsler? How do you know--" 

The man shrugged. 

"I've known for a while who you are, Flash. I have your speed, remember? And I can change to people I've touched-- well, who Everyman had touched, to be exact-- and it wasn't hard to figure out who you are after that." 

Barry carefully accessed his surroundings. There were many people passing by them, it was the morning rush hours after all, and Barry couldn't let Wechsler start hurting people in the middle of the road. 

"We have to go someplace else." Barry said, and Wechsler smiled. 

"Why, because of these people?" Wechsler asked, and Barry nodded. 

Then Wechsler tilted his head, and suddenly every people on the street stopped. Then turned. Toward Barry. 

Barry felt chillls down his spine. 

"You---" 

"I knew you were calculating how many people I could multiply into, Barry." Wechsler grinned. 

"It was quite obvious, the way you and your merry band of Ghostbuster friends accessing how I move, how I use my powers--- so I used it, making you believe I was getting stronger only by gradually, making you believe you had all the time in the world." 

Barry didn't take his eyes off from the man, who looked calm but there was definite underlying anger in his voice, the tilt of his head, the flick of his eyes. 

Wechsler looked so normal. About in his mid 40s, looking like a regular business man, not an super powered meta human wreaking havoc on the city. 

"Okay, okay you got me. What do you want?" Barry said, trying to figure out how to salvage this. 

Barry knew he was in a bad situation, but he had the earpiece to connect to the labs in his pockets, only if he could get them out without Wechsler noticing. He had to know his friends that Wechsler already knew who he was, and that he knew about the lab family. 

"Why are you doing this? Why are you making the city suffer?"

Barry asked, looking at Wechsler and the man smiled, his under lip twitching involuntarily. 

"I have to draw him out." 

Barry blinked. 

"Him?" 

"General Eilling. He'll come when I use you as a bait." Wechsler said. 

"He was really interested in you even when he was doing all those experiments on me back at the bunk. I watched how you ran, how your speed got stronger. He almost looked obsessed." 

Wechsler said, hissing out the words like the memory hurt him. Barry felt sickened too. 

"What did he do to you?" 

Barry asked, and Wechsler looked down at his hands. They were shaking, turning into different colors and shades, 

and Barry recognized the movement. It was speed and power, changing ability and many different sorts of meta powers all jammed in his hand, making him impossible to steady his own hand. 

Barry knew the feeling. 

"General Eiling. He made me into this. This.. monster." Wechsler whispered, and Barry felt his throat tighten. He knew what the General did in his bunker, but he didn't know how far the man would go to achieve his goal. How far he'd hurt innocent people. Turn people into his personal guinnea pigs, making them so afraid and dangerous. 

"We can help you," Barry said, his hands up in a non-threatening gesture so that the man would know Barry meant no harm. 

"My friends, they are geniuses and they helped me when I first got my power. I was afraid and scared too, like you are now, but they taught me to control my powers, and they can do that for you too." 

Wechsler looked at Barry, his face almost too pain stricken, which made him look like such a regular man, wanting to go home, wanting everything to go back to as they were. 

Barry looked into the man's eyes and knew he wanted to listen to Barry's words. But then it was gone, and Wechsler's face hardened. 

"No. That's not how it works. I want to make him pay first. I can use this power to make him feel pain." 

"Wechsler, wait-" 

"You're fast, I'll give you that." Wechsler said, looking at Barry. 

"But your friends aren't." 

Barry's heart stopped. 

"What?" 

Wechsler grinned, and this time the smile was cold as ice.

"I told you I've been watching you. You and your little lab friends. You seemed especially close with those little kids. Len and Lisa, right?" 

Barry felt his blood chill. 

"You don't touch them." Barry growled, his voice low and he felt his heart rate pulse. Wechsler smiled. 

"They seemed fond of you too. You'd come if one of them got missing, right?" 

"Stop. Wechsler, I ---" 

Barry bolted forward, plugging in the earpieces in his ears but then all Wechslers jumped on him, multiplying to twenties, thirties and hundreds, and Barry couldn't breath, Barry was trapped under hundreds of dead weights, he felt his ribs crush under weight and pressure, he used his speedforce but he just wasn't strong enough---- 

"Wechsler, don't---!" Barry shouted, trying to shake the bodies off, but his sight was blocked. 

"I'll see you with the kid, Flash." Wechsler's voice came from afar. 

"Eilling will come when you show up, then we'll see what I'm truly capable of." 

Barry heard the static in his earpiece, heard Cisco and Caitlin shouting about his heart rate and the pressure he was under, but he couldn't care about that, he didn't have the time to hear them shout about his breaking bones, 

"Cisco, get them out of there, get Len and Lisa out of there, you hear me??" 

"Barry- he's already- breached- Barry, they're here- no no no, don't----" 

"Cisco, Cisco!" 

Barry gritted his teeth, furiously pushing away the dead weighs on everywhere, he stopped breathing for a while now and his sight was becoming blurry but he tried to listen to his friend's voice,

"Cisco, Caitlin... Iris, get them out of there, you have to get them somewhere safe,"

Barry whispered, and felt his vision blur,  
and came the darkness.


	24. Len

When Barry woke up, he heard familiar voices and ruffles. 

"He's waking up. Oh god, Barry, are you okay?" 

Barry opened his eyes, his whole body felt numb and crushed and he felt dizzy. He saw Iris's concerned warm eyes, then it all came flooding back. 

"Iris, Cisco, Wechsler---- He was waiting at my apartment and then he talked about General Eiling and then he threatened to--" 

Barry blinked. He whirled around, looking frantically around the lab. There were Iris and Caitlin, who were nearest to Barry's bed, Cisco was standing behind Iris and Joe was next to him, along with guilty looking Hartley but there were no little kids, no smirk of how Barry had overslept his rest, no familiar piercing blue and brown eyes--- 

"They took them. Well, Wechsler's duplicates took them, exactly." Cisco said, his voice ridden with guilt and Barry couldn't believe it. He abruptly stood up, taking out IV lingers when Caitlin yelped in protest. 

"You shouldn't move for a while, Barry. You have broken several bones including your ribs, wrists and others, you suffered from hypoxia and---" 

He took them. Barry said, his voice sounded wrong even to his ears, it sounded broken and everybody looked at him like he was going to break down. Barry hated it but couldn't help it. 

"He took them because of me." Barry whispered, his heart sickening. 

"No, Wechsler took them because of General Eiling and what the man had done to him." Cisco said but it didn't help. Barry felt so helpless, he'd rather want to feel anger or rage but it was hard, it felt different from having nearly lost Len in the past, he didn't just lost his boyfriend and a friend but little kids. Little kids who laughed with him and made crazy bets with Cisco and Hartley, kids who laughed so freely when they knew they could trust the friends around him. 

"We'll get them back. We will, Barry." Caitlin said, and Barry nodded, willing his mind to focus and bring up strength. 

"Wait," Hartley said, tilting his head. "What is that?"

"What?" Cisco turned around, when Hartley looked directly at him.

"Me?" 

"No, not you, move." Hartley said, and walked fast toward him and then halted again. 

"What is it Hartley?" Joe asked and Hartley tilted his head. 

"I hear faint knocking. Weak, but constant... kind of in a rhythm." Hartley said, "I think it's coming from that vent." 

Hartley pointed at the vent that was attached at the foot of the corner wall, and Barry stared at it. 

"That vent leads to downstairs." Cisco said, and Barry flashed next to Hartley. 

"Where does it lead to?" Barry asked, and Cisco looked started but quickly typed into the pad. 

"It leads to B-12, right under this floor." Cisco said, and Barry flashed downstairs, grabbing Hartley before any of them could stop him. Hartley barely had time to yelp before he felt the gust of wind and gravity taking him in superspeed. 

"----arry!!" Hartley was screaming when Barry had put him down in front of B-12 door, and the scientist staggered, glaring at Barry though he was stumbling like a drunk person. 

"God, you have to warn me first!" 

"Sorry, but is this the place?" 

Barry sounded so urgent that Hartley decided not to let it hold. He nodded, looking at the door. 

"I can hear it now much loudly, it's definitely coming from behind this door... wait, it stopped." 

"Knock it. Like you heard it." Barry said, and Hartley glanced at Barry and then knocked in that rhythm he had heard.

There was silence, then there was this faint knocking coming from behind the door. This time, Barry could hear it too. Then Barry opened the door, and a little figure rushed forward, jumping into Barry's arms. 

"Barr!" Lisa cried, grabbing Barry's waist and Hartley looked dumbfounded. 

"How did you know? Wait, How did she get in there?" 

Hartley asked and Barry was hugging Lisa so tightly, he never wanted to let her go. 

"Barry, he took Lenny, he took Len." Lisa whispered, her voice mumbled in Barry's neck and Barry held on tight. She was trembling, and the newfound warmth in his arms lit a fire in his stomach. Barry opened his eyes, meeting Hartley's. Hartley blinked when he saw Barry's face. 

"Wait-" 

"Get ready." Barry said, and that was the only warning before he flashed them both back to the Cortex. 

Hartley was staggering when he arrived at the lab and held onto Joe, who looked puzzled at first but understood as he saw Lisa in Barry's arms.

Caitlin rushed to Barry's side, checking on Lisa but Lisa refused to budge from Barry's arms and Barry nodded to his friend.

"She's okay, she's shaken, but she's not hurt. But they took Len." Barry said, holding onto Lisa as the kid hugged deeper into Barry's arms. 

"How did she not get taken?" Joe asked, and his friends all looked puzzled too. 

"When Wechslers came, they pushed us to the other room and locked us there. There were swarms of him, and the last we saw was tens of duplicates going after the kids." Iris said, and Cisco nodded. 

"Lenny saved me." Lisa whispered, and Barry looked down at the kid. 

"Lis?" 

"He pushed me to the vent where he knew was connected to the downstairs. The first thing when we came to this Starlabs was me and him mapping out the entire building and its escape routes." 

"Of course, of course." Cisco said, sounding impressed. 

"He couldn't risk escaping with me, not without blowing my cover so he pushed me to the vent, told me to tap the vent after an hour and then Hartley'll pick up the sound." Lisa said. 

Barry was speechless. It was so Len and he found a way to save his little sister, even when he was powerless and small and only ten years old. And because Barry couldn't be fast enough, he couldn't save Lisa her brother. 

"You'll save Lenny, right?" Lisa whispered and Barry nodded. 

"I will Lis. Trust me, I will." Barry said, and then suddenly a beeper went off. 

"What's that?" Joe asked, and Cisco quickly tapped on the keyboard. 

"That's incoming feed from multiple sources. I'm uploading the receiving signal to the monitor---- now." 

The largest screen in the middle of the Cortex lit up, showing Wechsler's face. Lisa's breath hitched and Barry held her tighter. Wechsler smiled into the camera. 

"Hello there, Flash. Time to come meet my creator. I've set up an appointment with our mutual friend." Wechsler said, and Barry gritted his teeth. 

"Give us Len back. He's just a little kid." Barry said. 

"Yeah he's a little kid, but he's a key to make me order you around, so until you show up here yourself and alone, you're not getting him back." Wechsler said, shifting the camera angle so that he could show Len who had his tape around his mouth, and had his both hands tied behind his back. The sight of the fearful blue eyes made Barry's heart sink, and Barry gritted his teeth to stop himself from smashing the monitor. 

"Just hang on Len, I'll be right there. And you won't get what you want Wechsler, not in this way, I won't enable you to use Len and me to lure out general Eiling." Barry said, looking at Len's face to find if the kid was badly injured. 

"Uh-huh. That's where you're wrong." Len said. 

Everybody blinked. And as they all watched, Len effortlessly peeled off the tape on his mouth, the restraints on his hands forgotten. Hartley looked at Len's face in horror. 

"It's him." 

"Now you're just stating the obvious, aren't you now?" Len smiled, and it looked so wrong, the crooked smile not the original smirk taint Len's face. 

"You see, I know that you're fast Flash, and you may bolt with your little kid before Eiling gets here or give me some time to negotiate, so here's the deal." 

Cisco and Caitlins watched in horror as Wechsler, still in his Len's form, duplicated himself to another Len, and then another Len until the screen was filled with Lens. 

"You will behave and help me negotiate terms with the general, or," Len in the front row and closest to the camera pulled out a knife. He flicked it with easy grace. 

"Or I will get stabby, every time you try to pull something on me." 

Barry felt Iris tense next to him, felt his friends reflexively shifting closer to him but he didn't wince. The fire that lit inside him as he had held Lisa in his arms was now on full flames, burning and cracking and Barry was pissed. 

"You won't get me." Barry said, feeling the electric energy coursing through his veins, and Wechsler tilted his head. 

"Well, you are fast, but you're injured, and I am also a speedster, so, I think I'll manage to be plenty stabby if you try anything." Wechsler said, and he turned the camera one last time to show a bound boy in the back. It was Len, it was real Len, shaking his head and shouting not to come for his rescue. 

"So, I'll see you soon. Central Harbor, deck CR-112, don't bring the rest of the dummies with you or you'll have no boy to save." 

Then the screen was off, leaving only statics for the lab family to stare. 

"Barry, you can't go there alone---" Hartley started, but Barry cut him off. 

"I'm going." Barry said, ignoring the sharp pain in his side. The look on Barry's face made everybody including even Joe from trying to stop him. 

He was going. Len was out there with a psychopath and he was going to get him back. Barry was pissed and now Wechsler was going to see how dangerous it was to piss off a speedster.


	25. Super secret awesome plan to save Len

The abandoned factory site was really a tacky place for a supervillain to wait for Flash. 

Barry looked around, giving Cisco and others back in the lab to have time monitor the surroundings. 

"The heat signature seems to be coming from the northeast side, about 200 feet from you." Cisco said through the comm, ruffling sounds behind him. 

"Damn. There must be at least a hundred of him." Hartley's voice said. "What is his plan, really? He can't possibly know which one is real Len and there's hundreds of them. He'll be worn out even before he could find the kid or he'll be already be trampled to death." 

"I have a plan." Barry said to the comm, and he could almost picture them gaping through the monitors that provided CCTV feeds. 

"What plan?" Caitlin asked, and Barry bit his lips. 

"It's a super secret awesome plan." 

"Barry," It was Iris's voice now and it sounded concerned. "Is it going to work?" 

"It's a super secret awesome plan that is going to work." Barry said again, though he himself wasn't so sure, his ribs were still sore from before and there was really one shot he could pull it off. But they didn't have to know that. He was getting Len out of here, plan be working or not. 

Barry looked at the building in front of him. 

The doors of the abandoned warehouse was open, and Barry drew his breath before he put his hand on the door.  
The sight inside nearly made Barry freeze. 

There were hundreds of Len, all of them looking around as Barry entered, and Barry had to steel his mind not to panic. He had a plan. He had a plan. 

"Dude, this is really.. creepy. I mean, it's code Red creepy." Cisco said through the comm and Barry knew his friends were watching the feed from the suit because apparently there was no working security cameras in the building. 

Barry shook his head. "Seriously, dude, not helping." 

Cisco made a yelping sound(like Iris had just pinched him) and was quiet. Barry quickly scanned the room, trying to see if he could find real Len through this but it was nearly impossible. 

Some of the Lens in the front row pulled out their weapons, looking at Barry with cold eyes. 

"You know the rules. You stay nice and quiet until our guest arrives, and I'll let you and your little kid walk out here unharmed." 

One of the Wechslers said and Barry shook his head. 

"You already hurt him and I'm getting him out of here, right now. And I'm not buying your word of letting us go."  
Lens shrugged and grinned at Barry's words. 

Then Barry glimpsed a face of real Len amongst the crowd, but as soon as Barry laid eyes on him, other Lens swarmed around him and by the time Barry got there he was missing again in the swarm of bodies. Barry had to be careful not to be trapped in the middle of the swarm, he tread carefully so that he could poke through here and there in the crowd but quickly backed out as soon as Wechslers tried to surround him. Wechsler knew his game and Barry knew he couldn't risk being surrounded and then captured. 

"Len's probably somewhere in the middle," Hartley said through the comm and Barry knew he was right. 

"But he can't get in there, not without risking getting surrounded by them and being trapped." 

It was like a lion trying to hunt a water buffalo, the duplicates were forming a giant herd and Barry was keep poking around to get inside but couldn't. 

"Why isn't he fighting back? He can fight back." Caitlin said, looking at the monitor as the Flash barely missed a close shots from Wechsler and managed to avoid critical hits. 

"He's--- almost looks like he's waiting for something. Saving his strength." Iris said. 

"Barry, I think it's a good time for you to activate that super secret awesome plan." Cisco said watching the monitors as Wechslers already tried to wound him several close times, and Barry nodded. 

"What are you going to do, Flash?" 

Wechslers smiled and Barry drew his breath and shouted, 

"Len, remember Moso Bamboo?" 

All of the duplicates' faces looked confused. They looked at Barry like he was crazy. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

"Remember what I told you, in order for them to grow?" Barry shouted, ignoring Wechsler's words. 

"Oh." Lisa said, drawing his breath. "He's going to do it." 

"What?" Joe asked, looking bewildered next to equally confused looking Hartley but then Cisco and Caitlin were already understanding. 

"It's Moso Bamboo," Caitlin whispered, and then somewhere in the swarm of duplicates, Len's voice shouted, "Got it!!"

And then Barry ran. He circled around the herd, creating one giant circle of charged electric trace of lightning, feeling his whole body charging with more and more powerful energy when he heard, "Now, Scarlet!" 

And then Barry stopped, grabbing the lightning created in his hand and throwing it like a giant lightning boomerang through the crowd. 

The lightning pierced through the herd, dissipating them all into tiny sparks of electricity and screams, except for the one kid who was crouching in the middle and a man screaming in pain, rolling on the floor. 

"Arggghhh!!" Wechsler, who was left alone after all his duplicates screamed and disappeared into thin air, twisted as sparks coursed through his body and fainted. Barry flashed to the middle, where the real Len, who was now slowly standing up, greeted Barry with open arms.

"Len," Barry whispered as he hugged the little kid. 

"I crouched as you started running," Len said, hanging onto Barry's shoulder as the speedster drew out a shaky breath of relief. 

"You're okay," Barry whispered, "You're really okay," And Len smirked. The little brat smirked. 

"Of course I'm okay. I remembered your little talk, about trees growing and we could have different future and whatever. And, sometimes you just need a little crouching before you leap." Len said, still grinning and looking at Barry.

Barry smiled goofily at this insufferable kid because really there was no way he could do anything else right now. 

"You look really silly when you smile like that, Scarlet." Len said, but he was also grinning and Barry couldn't bring himself to feel anything but relief and happiness wash over him. 

"I know. But you like me for it." 

"Well, do I?" Len made a show of tilting his head. "Maybe." 

Barry grinned, a huge smile splitting his face and then his vision wavered.

"Scarlet?" Barry heard Len's concerned voice, and he wanted to reassure him, that everything is now okay, that he was safe, but then his vision darkened and then he heard Cisco and Caitlins' voices shouting about falling vitals and losing too much blood. 

'We're coming, we're coming Barry, just hold on!' 

"What, I'm okay." Barry slurred, feeling Len grabbing his shoulder. 

"Scarlet, stay with me, hey,"

"You look too worried," Barry stared up at the bright blue eyes as Len's young face scrunched up, "Don't frown so much, you'll gonna get wrinkles." And Barry was laughing at his own words. 

"Guys, he's losing it. When are you getting here?" Len was shouting in his ears and Barry felt his eyelids flutter close. 

"You do like my smile, admit it." Barry slurred, and Len sighed and looked down at him. 

"You're nothing but trouble but unfortunately, I like you." Len said. 

"Funny," Barry smiled.

"What is?" 

"Cold said that to me once too." 

Len tried to answer that, but then Len was enveloped in bright golden light. 

"Wait, what is happening?" Len said, and then Barry saw a very familiar face popping out of thin air. 

"Well hello there, Barry. We finally caught the assassins sent in Len's 10 year timeline, so we can send him and little Lisa Snart back in time. Sorry it took this long." 

Rip said, his translucent half-body hovering in the mid-air. Len frantically turned around at the Time master. 

"What the- what are you doing to me?" 

"I'm sending you back in time, kid. You're welcome."

Len looked dumbfounded, watching his own body misting into thin air. 

"But I'm--" 

Then Len was gone with a burst of golden light bubble. 

Then there was only Barry on the floor, on the brink of losing his consciousness and a half-bodied Time master's translucent form in mid air. 

Barry swore when this time he woke up, he'd definitely hunt down the Time master himself, whichever timeline or Earth. 

Then he passed out.


	26. A new day

Missing your boyfriend sucked.

Missing your boyfriend on Valentine's Day, sucked even more.

Everywhere Barry saw and went were full of loving couples, not just when he was Barry Allen waiting in line in the coffee shop surrounded by happy very expressive couples but also when he was running around as the Flash, trying to save people on this godforsaken day.

"Seriously guys? You really have to do that?" Barry tried not to whine at the couple of villains in front of him, but was failing miserably.

"Aw, Flash. Sorry we didn't see you there."

Shawna smiled, wiping off Mark's lips that she'd just kissed and blew kisses at Barry, who crunched his nose indignantly.

"I was right here. You started making out right after you said 'Oh, hi there Flash'!"

Shawna and Mark shrugged and god how could that gesture show I'm sorry but not sorry so effectively? The effective nonchalance gesture reminded Barry of someone that Barry felt his gut twitch even more. 

God he hated the Rogues right now. And their leader who was missing out on his boyfriend on Valentine's Day.

Little Len and Lisa had disappeared in timey whimey golden bubble that Rip sent, and though there was nothing on Earth that Barry would rather do than to capture said Time master and torture him('Oooh, dark side alert.' Cisco would say) but unfortunately Barry passed out in that warehouse alone with the Wechsler and later when he opened his eyes, there was no sight of little Lens or the Time master himself.

('He said he'd come back soon, to report on the situation if the present Cold could actually come back here on this timeline,' Caitlin said with a sympathetic smile on her face, caring for Barry. 'But seriously dude, the guy was scared to death. He kept double-checking if you were out the whole time he was in the lab, I kind of got suspicious if he was going to dose a little more narcotic in your system,' Cisco had said.)

Shawna seemed to take pity on the speedster and finally detached herself from her boyfriend and came close.

"Now there, Flash. Why the pouty face? Our boss will be back here soon enough. You can hang out with us if you'd like."

She cooed and Barry tried to glare at her but was his face was already crumbling.

"You're in the middle of the heights. Literally. Your boyfriend is loading up the golds on the van, right now."

"Oh, so we'll hang after the job is done, who cares?" Shawna smiled and Barry had to laugh at that.

"Now there's the dorky smile that made our boss become a fool who fell in head over heels in love with his nemesis."

Shawna smiled up at Barry and patted the speedster on the shoulder.

"Thanks for trying to.. um.. cheer me up?"

Barry smiled at her because it really was nice of her to try to cheer up the Flash when he was here to stop her.

"But I'm not going to let you get away with this."

"Well, can't blame a girl for trying." Shawna smiled, and then Barry zipped away to stop Mark from getting away with the van. As it turned out, Mark had iced the whole way he drove and Barry skidded on the ice, made a very brave and futile effort not to slip and fall, but eventually ended up crashing a dumpster nearby.

A stray cat jumped shrieking and clung tight on Barry's suit for her dear life, its claws digging mercilessly on Barry's shoulder and then a window somewhere up the building opened up, shouting 'Quiet down, you damn cat!!'

and splashed a water onto Barry, not seeing there was a crushed speedster in the alleyway.

Barry was now soaked, had a crazy cat for a company and was seriously contemplating whether or not to completely break down right then and there.

Who was he kidding, this day sucked and he blamed everything on the time master (whose day was now counting to an end) and his boyfriend who was heartless and cold enough to abandon him without an even piece of note or a hologram chatting via Gideon. ('Rip told me to tell you that they've been super busy, they literally had to sleep in a cave for weeks to track down the assassins sent in little Cold's timeline, and they now have this new lead that Cold's worried about, but Rip said he'll fill us in later', Cisco said, but whatever)

Barry was now mindlessly petting the cat in his lap, who was now purring contently and brushing up against the speedster's suit adorably when a static in the earpiece interrupted his thoughts.

'Barry, we need you to get back here.' Caitlin's voice said and Barry was alerted.

"What? What happened?" Barry said, standing up, letting the cat jump down from his lap.

'It's... You have to come and see.' Cisco's voice said, his voice sounding half alarmed.

'It's the Snarts.' Caitlin said. And Barry felt his breath catch. 'They're back.'


	27. Len 14, Lisa 12

Barry zipped to the lab and was faced with--- 

"What happened?" 

Barry asked, halting at the sight before him. 

Lisa was crying, her hair all messed up and Len was beside him, his face covered in blood. 

Barry thought his breath went out of his lungs, his brain stopping for what felt like eternity. Then Lisa looked around and saw him and chirped,"Barr", and he flashed almost instinctively to her side. 

"Wha- what happened? Are you okay? Are you two okay?" Barry said, holding the little girl as she jumped into his embrace and looking frantically around at Len. Len looked a foot taller now, his face looking sharper and older but he was still a kid, who was biting his lips and looking furious bordering on rage. 

Caitlin ran back from the room, putting down emergency kit next to the kids and tendering on Len's face, which Len flinched away and avoided. 

"Len, you need to disinfect those injuries," Caitlin said, alarmed at the vicious look in the kid's face. She tried to tend to the boy a few more times, but when it was clear that Len didn't want to tend his injury, she turned to Lisa and started disinfecting little cuts and bruises on the girl's face.

It was more subtle than Len's, but Lisa flinched everytime Caitlin's alcohol cotton touched the bruise and the girl cringed into Barry's arms. 

"What happened?" Cisco asked, his face looking horrified at the kids' states and he was right next to Lisa. Lisa clung her one hand into Cisco's shirt, looking scared. 

"I screwed up." Len said, and they all looked at the kid. 

"Our father- that monster tried to beat her up again and I was not strong enough to protect her. I failed to protect her, again." Len bit out his words, shaking in rage at his own words. 

"Lenny, you did not fail to protect me, you took the beating instead of me." Lisa cried, shaking her head at her brother but Len didn't seem to hear her. 

"I screwed up." Len said again, and Barry thought he felt his heart break. 

"Len," Barry said, turning to the kid when Cisco took Lisa's hold instead of him. Barry carefully walked to Len, realizing that now he didn't have to get down on one knee to level himself to look into the kid's eyes. 

He was taller now, at Barry's shoulder height, more built and tall than he was last time Barry had seen him but still looked too young and too fragile in Barry's eyes. 

"It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done in that situation, the man's much bigger and stronger than you and you did your best to protect Lisa, we all know that." Barry said, trying not the ache in his heart break his voice too much. 

Len was staring at blank space across Barry's shoulder and was shaking with rage, and the sight made Barry want to cry or break down for him. 

"How much time has it passed?" Hartley said, who was watching this whole scene a step back, his arms crossed. 

Caitlin looked sharply back at him but Hartley didn't even flinch. 

"How old are you kids?" Hartley asked again. 

Lisa sobbed, trying to control her sniffles and muttered, 

"I'm 12 and Lenny's 14." 

Then everybody fell silent. 

"... It's been 4 years since then?" Iris said next her, sounding utterly surprised and looked between the kids. 

"But it's been only a week." She said, then Lisa nodded. 

"The Rip guy- he came to our house again, saying that another threat was in our timeline again, like the last time. He saw how we were beaten, and said that he was really sorry." 

Barry felt his heart squeeze at her words when suddenly Len's voice spoke up. 

"You can fix this." 

"What?" 

Barry looked back at him, finding Len's piercing blue eyes staring straight at him. 

"I heard from that crazy time-traveling ship of his, that you could run back in time, change history and timeline itself. I heard you could do that as the Flash." 

"Wha-" Cisco said, as all people's eyes were widened with shock at little Len's words. Barry couldn't tear his eyes away from Len's eyes, the eyes that he missed and loved so much. 

"Do it. Run back in time. Do it and save Lisa. Stop our father from hurting her." 

Barry felt his heart twist. It hurt so much, to see such hatred and fury in the eyes that he loved, to see such hurt and rage directed at him with those familiar eyes. 

"I- I can't." Barry whispered. Len's face hardened, his stare looking menacing. 

"Why the hell not?" Len hissed, stepping toward the speedster. Barry shook his head weakly. 

"I'm sorry, I can't. There's nothing else in the world that I'd rather do to change the timeline and save you two from hurting, but believe me, I can't." Barry said. 

Len's eyes sparked with fury. 

"Where have you been? Where were you when I called for you? When Lisa and I needed you the most? Where were you when that monster beat me and Lisa and she was bleeding?" 

Len said, his voice shaking with anger and he was trying hard, so hard even at this moment to control his fury and it made Barry want to scream. He wanted to reach out and touch Len's shaking hands but couldn't, and it broke him a little more. 

"I can't." Barry whispered, feeling his eyelashes wet with tears. "I'm so sorry Len." 

Len stared at him like he was the most hateful thing in the world. Len's young face twisted and he sneered at the speedster. 

"Then what the hell are you good for." 

Then he walked away. 

Barry felt like dying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the sudden change of feels, it will get better I promise, just had to write it for the story. :(


	28. Rip's little surprise

Barry flashed down to the pipeline, in the far corner where it was most secluded and out of eyesight. He used to come up here when he was most stressed, it avoided CCTVs and was not easy to spot for unfamiliar eyes. 

He crouched down against a wall, hugging his knees as he hid his face into his arms. 

Everything hurt, it felt like his heart was torn away and was getting ripped with every heartbeat. He felt his throat dry and face warm but he didn't cry. He felt far too guilty for crying. Instead he was hurting, and was so mad at and ashamed of himself. 

"Barry?" 

Cisco's voice echoed through the pipeline and then Barry felt him approaching him. Barry sniffled. Cisco seemed to halt at the sight of him and then slowly walked close by. 

"Mind if I sit next to you?"

Barry nodded. Cisco sat down next to him, hugging his own legs too. Barry looked up from his arms and met his friend's weak smile. 

"Rough day, huh."

Barry nodded, couldn't help but mirror his friend's smile, however small. 

"I'm pathetic." Barry whispered, looking at his friend who also looked shook. Cisco just saw beaten up Lisa, and Barry knew how it felt to watch your loved one's little form in such scared and hurt state. 

"You're not pathetic." Cisco said, who hugged his own legs like Barry did and put his chin on his knees. 

"I am." Barry muttered. 

Cisco then shrugged. 

"Then I'm being pathetic with you too." 

Barry couldn't help a genuine smile at that. He smiled at his friend gratefully, who then bumped his knee to Barry's. 

"Man, I've never punched a guy in the face but if I get a chance to see that Lewis guy, I'm punching him in the face." Cisco said, which earned a half-sob half-giggle from Barry. Barry felt a little better, bumped back Cisco's knee when suddenly a golden light illuminated the corridor. 

"What's happening?" Cisco said, alarmed but Barry was blinking his eyes straight at the light. He knew this light. 

"Rip?" Barry said, as the golden light grew almost too blindingly bright. 

"Rip!" 

"My eyes, my eyes!" Cisco yelped, shielding his eyes with his hand. 

"Sorry, sorry." Time master's voice said and the light dimmed down, revealing Rip's hovering upper body in mid-air. 

The British looked down at the two crouched men on the floor and cleared his throat. 

"Are you all right, Barry?" 

Barry huffed. Rip seemed to get Barry's mood enough not to comment on the current squatting situation of the two friends. 

"I see that you've met the two Snarts I've sent you." Rip said, then added almost tentatively, "I'm sorry, Barry."

Barry shook his head. As much as he wanted to strangle the man for first leaving his boyfriend and his sister's little forms in the first place, he knew the kids' sufferings were not Rip's fault. 

"It's not your fault." Barry said, to which Rip halted for a moment and nodded gratefully. 

"Well, the timeline is still very susceptible when it concerns those two little Snarts, but I've managed to link our ship and your timeline for a brief moment."

Rip said, looking at Barry with a rare genuine grin. Barry blinked. 

"What do you mean?"

"Barry," another voice and then a face popped beside Rip's and Barry nearly jumped onto his feet. 

"Len!" Barry yelped, flashing right in front of the golden light, looking into his boyfriend's face first time in god knows how long time. Cisco squeaked somewhere behind Barry but Barry couldn't care. The sight of Len made Barry's heart melt and lift off weight that has been on his heart. 

"God, Len, I've missed you." Barry said, wishing hard that he could just touch his boyfriend's face now, and feel his arms wrapped around him. 

"I've missed you too, Scarlet." Len said, his eyes and voice soft and shifted like he wanted to get closer to Barry too. Then Len frowned as he saw the look on Barry's face. 

"Scarlet, what's wrong?"

Barry bit his lip, trying to smile weakly at his boyfriend but as he met with Len's concerned blue eyes, he spat out, 

"You hate me."

"What?"

Len's eyes widened with surprise and he shook his head. Then he seemed to catch up on the situation and then looked at Barry again. 

"Scarlet, How old am I in your timeline right now?"

Barry sighed. 

"14."

Len seemed to recall his memory and then cringed. 

"Ouch." Len said. 

"... Yeah, no kidding." Barry huffed out a pitiful laugh as he saw Len's sympathetic face. 

Len shook his head, smiling gently as he looked into Barry's eyes. 

"I didn't hate you. I could never hate you Scarlet." Len said. 

"I was hurt, my sister was hurt too and there was nothing I could stop my father from hurting him." 

"You took the beating for her." Barry muttered, the thought still bringing pain twist in his chest. 

"Yes, but it was only temporary and he abused me and my baby sister for a long time." Len said, looking sympathetically at Barry. 

"I was young, hurt, and I missed you. I lashed out at you because I couldn't control my anger and pain directed at my father, not because I truly blamed you. In fact, I would be already sorry that I did that by now." 

Barry breathed as he listened to Len's voice. The sound soothed him and Len's blue eyes were so blue with warmth. Len smiled at him. 

"I'll come around, Scarlet." Len whispered. 

"Yeah?" Barry whispered back, trying a smile. Len nodded. 

"Yes, I will. I will learn to see past the pain and anger. Actually, it was you who made me see that." 

Barry sniffled and then blinked. 

"... I do?" 

"Yes."

Len said, then the golden light seemed to waver. Rip said something next to him and then Len looked back at Barry. 

"I can't tell you more since it'll mess up the timeline, but you've always been the one there for me Scarlet. Even when you were across the timeline, even when you are now. In every timeline, I've always---" 

Then the light burst out, bursting into a million golden bubbles of light in front of Barry. 

".... Len?"

Barry said, looking at the shrinking golden light. 

"Barry," suddenly Rip's voice echoed from the dimming golden light. 

"I'm really sorry but we have to go. But I'll make this up for you, I promise Barry." 

Barry shook his head, feeling suddenly ripped of warmth that was his boyfriend. 

"Yeah, right." 

"Seriously." Rip's voice said, and then added, "... You'll see."

Then the golden light shimmered for the last time and it was gone.


	29. Damn the adorable speedsters

"Knock Knock." 

Iris said, as she leaned against the door. 

Len looked around to see warm friendly face, and turned his head. 

"I don't need a lecture, Iris. I know I shouldn't have---" 

Len lost his words. The look on Barry's face when Len had said those horrible words made him want to grab Barry and tell him he didn't mean any of it. But Barry had disappeared so fast after that and Cisco had offered to come look for Barry in his secret place. 

Len didn't know where this secret place of Barry's was and where he went when he felt hurt, which made him feel useless again. 

Iris shrugged, and smiled like she knew exactly what was going on Len's head. Len sighed and nodded to let her in. 

"I'm just here to see if you're okay." Iris said softly, sitting on the chair next to Len. 

"I shouldn't have said that to Scarlet." Len said, "He'd hate me now, he was nothing but kind to me and Lisa ever since we've got here and I was such a jerk to him." 

Len's face, however grown since the last time she had seen it, was still so young that melted Iris's heart. 

"He'd never hate you." Iris said, "You know Barry likes you, very much." 

Len shook his head. 

"Yeah, except that I've lost my cool and screwed up so much, he probably wouldn't won't to see my face ever again." 

Iris knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help grinning at that remark. Len looked at her, narrowing his eyes. 

"What's so funny?" 

"Just. Nothing." Iris said, furiously trying to hold back the giggle. 

'Losing his cool' sounded too much like Captain Cold's usual terrible puns, if only the said person had known it. Len looked so miserable, so Iris decided she could give him a break. 

"You know Barry understands you. He knows that you didn't mean any of it, and that you're regretting it right now. I know that because I've seen him just like you once." Iris said. 

That brought Len's attention back to Iris. 

"What? When?" 

Iris considered for a moment, then decided it shouldn't hurt. 

"Because he's been in your place, too." Iris said. "He had suffered terrible pain and loss when he was little, just like you and Lisa had. My father took him in, but Barry lashed out at him when he tried to help him. Told my father he was a man that had nothing to do with him and shouldn't dream of replacing his own father." 

Len looked at her like he couldn't believe it and she nodded gently. 

"He was angry and lashing out because he was hurting, like you are now. People do that when they are deeply hurt. But he overcame that. He grew from that hurt little boy to the person we all adore, a boy with the biggest heart I've seen, and with ridiculously adorable smile that melts the coldest hearts."

Iris smiled as she said and Len smiled at that too. 

Len felt the weight off his chest as he smiled at the thought of said speedster. He could easily picture Barry smile, how it made his heart warm and flutter at the same time. He didn't know that Barry had such dark, painful past, with smiles that made you think you were in the safest place on the earth. 

"How did he become himself?" Len said, "How did he become that kid from the hero he is now? How do you know-"

Len bit his lip, thinking of his father's screaming, the fear on Lisa's eyes when he hit him and the helplessness and fury that he felt when he knew he couldn't protect her from all those pains. 

"--- How do you know that all those pain and sufferings- it won't turn you into a monster and become someone terrible?"

"Because you showed me." Barry said. 

Both Len and Iris almost jumped and turned around to see the speedster leaning against the door. Barry smiled sheepishly at Len when he met his eyes. Len felt his cheek blush, feeling his throat tight as million apologies tried to burst out at once. 

Barry smiled at him, nodding as if he read Len's mind. 

"I know, Len. You don't have to apologize. And I am truly sorry that I can't change the timeline." Barry said, looking apologetic again and Len's mouth finally burst open. 

"You don't have to. I'm sorry, Scarlet. I didn't mean anything that I'm the one who should be sorry." Len said, feeling the words stumble out of his mouth and hoping to God Barry would forgive him. 

Barry smiled at him, his eyes gentle with warmth. 

"You asked how you won't turn into a monster and become someone terrible, and I know you won't because you are the one who showed me that." Barry said, his voice soft. 

"I saw how with all those pains and anger, you could turn it into something brilliant," Barry shrugged, "yes, sometimes maybe bordering on thin line between legal and illegal, but still something truly amazing." 

Barry then smiled, and as Iris had said, it was ridiculously adorable that it almost felt like cheating. 

Len looked at Iris and she shrugged muttering, "I know, right?" and they both grinned. 

"What, what are you two talking about? Have you guys made secret code between you two while I was gone?" Barry flustered, which made the two snicker even more. 

"Just that we love you, Barry." Iris said, hopping off the chair and hugging his friend. Len followed, and as two people looked at him expectantly, he shrugged and said, "You're not so bad, Scarlet." 

"Aww, you know you love me." Barry said, and boy did that make Len's heart flutter. Len turned his head so quickly that they couldn't see the blush creeping onto his cheek, but he was sure he just twisted his neck. He heard Barry and Iris laugh and talk behind but didn't dare turn around and just kept walking. 

Damn those ridiculously adorable speedsters and their ridiculously adorable smiles.


	30. Barry doesn't appreciate universe's sense of humor

It was as Barry was trying to stop yet another meta that called for the Flash's attention.

"It's a powerful one", Hartley said in Barry's earpiece, "I've been tracking this meta since we've caught Wechsler and like he had said, there were few more super metas out there with combined or enhanced powers."

"So be careful, Barry." Caitlin said, watching the feed on the monitors as they all saw the Flash just stepped into the mall.

People were screaming and fleeing the building, and as Barry stepped into the main hall giant banners and debris were falling from the ceiling. Barry quickly flashed some people who were almost crushed by the falling chunks of giant asphalt.

"Where is the meta?" Barry said as he quickly flashed to the top floor to sweep down each floor for stragglers who hadn't escaped yet.

He was on the second floor when Cisco shouted, "She's on the first floor!"

Barry quickly grabbed the last elderly woman on the floor and flashed to the ground floor. He left the woman near the entrance hall where other people were quickly helping the shoppers get out of the building.

Barry felt the grandmother pat him on the shoulder saying, "Nice kid" before other people ushered her away. He grinned at the men who gave the Flash exasperated shrug as they carried the old woman outside.

"So, you're the infamous Flash."

Barry knew the villain voice even before he turned around. Really, their lines were getting so predictable these days, Barry missed some good supervillains with some style. Preferably with beautiful icy blue eyes. Even better if their arms under the parka was strong enough to hold him. Even better if he had some really annoying sense of humor and a terrible taste for puns, but still had the most gorgeous lips and eyes that warmed at the sight of Barry----

"Um, did I lose you, Flash?"

The meta lady said and Barry shook out of thoughts quickly, feeling embarrassed he was lost so easily. Damn he missed his boyfriend. And the mall was still decorated for Valentine's Day for crying out loud and it made Barry want to flash around the entire space and get rid of all the decors that reminded of him how miserable he was.

The woman, ('I haven't named her yet, her powers are still yet to be determined,' Cisco said excitedly through his earpiece), who caught Barry eyeing the decors ruefully and grinned.

"Did I pull you out of your loving girlfriend's hands or something, Flash?" She said, her arms casually crossed in front of her chest. She was dark haired, pretty in her mid 20 and was wearing a purple jacket and a black skirt.

Barry thought for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Nah, I've got a boyfriend."

The meta lady raised her one eyebrow at that.

"Wow. Didn't expect that level of honesty, but great. I bet he's hot, right?"

She grinned at him and Barry shrugged again, also crossing his arms in front of his chest like a challenge. The woman's smile grew wider.

"Yes, I can totally see you with a hot guy. Damn. I'd love to see you two together."

('Seriously? You guys are going for bantering? What's it with you and your villains wanting to small talk in the middle of the fight?', Hartley muttered in Barry's earpiece)

Barry shook his head and looked back at the meta lady.

"So.. strange meta lady? Why are you doing this?" Barry asked, motioning to all the havoc that was wreaked in the mall. The woman raised her eyebrow again and it reminded him of the certain villain.

"I have super power and I can take down a whole mall with it. What would be the first thing that I do? Duh," She motioned her hand to the entire mall, "I came shopping."

Barry shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

She tilted her head, looking disappointed.

"And here I thought we could be good friends, Flash."

"She's gaining her powers right now!" Cisco said in his earpiece and Barry could see white energy force gathering in her both hands.

"What is it?"

"She can--"

She through the white energy to Barry which he dodged too easily. Barry looked around to see a pile of snow where she through her powers.

"Really? Snowball? That's all you've got?" Barry said, turning around and when he did, he was blasted with purple energy force.

"Barry!" Barry heard as Len shouted and was thrown backwards. The meta lady laughed as she shouted, "No, THIS is what I've got."

The blow itself wasn't too bad and he quickly got on his feet.

"I'm not going to play nice now, you have to go to the Iron Heights. No more games."

She smiled, building yet another snow storms in her hands.

"Too slow," Barry grinned, ready to flash, but the woman just smiled.

"Am I? Or are you?"

Barry didn't have time to think what she meant because as he bolted forward, trying to avoid the little snowstorm heading his way and whisk her away to the prison, what he actually did was to run at total normal speed straight toward the snowstorm. 

Barry spat out the extra snow in his mouth and gaped at the meta woman who was grinning madly at him.

"What did you do? No, are you one of those power-sucking metahumans?"

The woman snorted like he insulted her.

"No, I'm better, because I can have more than one power at a time." She flicked her hair as she prepared another of her snow storm in her hands.

'Ice-absorber, Ice-power taker, damn, this is getting hard with them having multiple powers', Cisco was furiously whispering into Barry's ears and it was driving Barry crazy.

"Cisco, do you really have to do that right now?" Barry gritted his teeth to the communicator as he tried to run around the meta woman, trying to see a break. It was much harder in a normal speed, since she could aim Barry so easily now. 

Barry had never felt so winded after running in a long time and it was driving him mad. Then he was trying to avoid another ice blast from the meta when suddenly his legs carried him too fast and he couldn't control the speed of his running.

"Wha---"

There was a loud bam! and stack of boxes in the corner exploded with stuffed animals and products. When Barry came to his senses, he realized he had just ran into the boxes in super speed.

"Whaaa...."

Barry staggered and stood back up, looking bewildered and looked around the meta lady.

"You gave me my speed back?"

Barry gaped at her, to which she only shrugged.

"What is happening?" Barry heard Iris over the communication but he was now feeling his speed force coursing through his veins and he didn't need to be fooled twice.

"First I get her, then we'll ask questions." Barry said, as he felt his body charging with speed and flashed forward.

He saw her waving her arms and creating yet another storm of ice but this time Barry was way faster, he could see the ice molecules building and then everything got too fast for him. No. Nooo.

"Barry! I got it!" Cisco yelped in his earpiece, with Hartley saying 'WE got it, you dumbass.', "She didn't give you your speedforce back, she can just separate your powers from you for a short period of time and repeat it!"

"Oh."

Barry felt his own legs slowed down and saw in horror as the meta lady swung her hands and summoned a massive Tsunami of---

"Snow." Barry whispered, just before the shadow of the white Tsunami towered over him hit the floor.

The last echoing sound of meta lady laughing and fleeing the scene with snow waves of various mall products will not be haunting Barry's dreams for the rest of his life. And when his team and Len and Lisa got to the mall and pulled out the speedster from the massive pile of snow by his ankle, he was shivering like crazy and was hugging himself.

Caitlin quickly wrapped him with multiple blankets she brought, and Lisa hugged him immediately when she found Barry all wet and shivering in cold. Len shrugged out of his parka and wrapped the blanket man with it, to which Barry gave him a thankful (shuddering) smile.

It was just what universe intended. Barry in his miserable state surrounded by snow, missing his Cold, and was wrapped in young version of his boyfriend's parka, and was now---

"Ah-choo!"

"I think you're catching a cold, Scarlet." Len said, looking down at the pitiful mess of a speedster and Barry shook his head in denial.

It seemed like the universe had the strangest sense of humor, just like his missing boyfriend had.


	31. One Cocoa to rule them all, one cocoa to shame them

"How do you make a sick speedster feel better?" Cisco said.

"Is it a joke?" Hartley said, "It sounds like a joke."

The said speedster (or Barry shaped pile of blankets on the sofa) shook himself with cough and said, "'t's not a joke."

Everybody winced at how croaked his voice sounded, and Len looked down at Barry sympathetically.

"How did he even catch cold?" Len asked the scientists in the room.

"Normally, his fast immune system cancels out most of the viruses and germs," Caitlin said, "But this time he was hit with heap of ice when he didn't have his speedforce and his immune system got all messed up when the cold kicked in. We haven't seen him catching cold for ages, too." She said, gently wiping the speedster's forehead with cold towel to which Barry groaned appreciatively and closed his eyes.

"We've hooked him up with meds now, and we'll keep on eye on him how his immune system works." Caitlin said, and Len tentatively brushed a mop of hair off Barry's forehead.

Barry's eyes were closed, his long eyelashes were drawing dark shadow below his eyes and his skin felt hot under Len's fingers. Barry sniffled, chasing the cool skin that was Len's and leaned his face into Len's palm. Len stopped his hand, feeling trapped and frozen as the speedster's warm cheek was in his hand.

Barry's chapped lips were mere inch away from Len's hand and every time the speedster knitted his brows, his eyelashes tickled inside Len's palm. Len felt like his heart and face were in a racing match to see which one of them exploded first.

Luckily Cisco's voice made Barry shift and roll over and snapped Len out of trance.

"You know what would help him right now?" Cisco said, totally unaware of certain young Snart's death glare at the back of his head, and everybody looked at him.

"What?" Hartley asked, and Cisco grinned, "The secret recipe Cocoa of Cold."

This brought out different reactions from the group. Iris and Caitlin's face immediately split into grins while the rest of the group were staring at them questioningly.

"Oooh, the secret recipe cocoa," Iris and Caitlin said together and Hartley rolled his eyes.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"It's the super secret recipe for sick speedster, patented by his boyfriend," Iris said, teasingly.

"You guys have done this before?" Len asked, his face doubtful. Cisco shrugged.

"Yeah, of course. Hey, remember the Halloween incident?" He said and Iris nodded smiling, "Oooh, the Halloween incident!"

"What happened at Halloween?" Lisa asked, her eyes sparkling and Iris laughed.

"You see, there are lot of crazies on the streets especially on Halloween," she said, and Cisco muttered, "More than usual".

"And on the day of Halloween 2014, the Flash was teaming up with the Waverider team to defeat this crazy old meta who called himself 'the Doc'," Iris said, rolling her eyes.

"Did he dress up in white lab gown and drove DeLorean DMC-12?" Len asked sarcastically and Caitlin stifled her laugh.

"Actually, he did." Caitlin said, shaking her head disbelievingly.

"And I notice that you knew the exact name and the model number of that car, young Snart," Iris said grinning and Cisco brightened up next to her.

"God. Young Snart was secretly a nerd? This is pure gold." Cisco said, to which Len raised his eyebrow. Cisco glanced at Len's questioning face, yelped, and looked away.

"You're not getting any future information on me, Len." Cisco said, though he was furiously refusing to meet 14 year old's eyes.

"Anyway," Iris said, smoothly taking over the conversation, "Speaking of nerds, that Doc thing got Barry furious. He loved that movie and couldn't stand this madman impostering his favorite movie character. So the Flash tried to stop him when this mad so-called Doc threw a potion on him that made Barry catch a cold."

"And Barry hadn't been sick since he became the Flash that day, and it was BAD." Caitlin said, "He sneezed, coughed, he had fevers and basically couldn't move an inch out of the lab."

"Naturally, Barry was miserable," Cisco said, "So L-"

Cisco suddenly froze in mid-sentence.

"I think he's broken," Lisa said, shaking her hand in front of the scientist's eyes.

"-oving boyfriend of his, gave him this hot coco." Caitlin smoothly took over and finished Cisco's sentence for him, and Cisco looked at his friend gratefully for throwing a lifeline. Caitlin shrugged and continued.

"Cold first made that cocoa for Barry that day and surprisingly it made feel much better. Since that day, whenever he got cold-related situation or down the weather, Cold would whip up this secret recipe cocoa for him and Barry would get all happy and warm."

"We've all drank it too, you know." Cisco said, "It really was one hell of a cocoa."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Lisa said, looking around at her brother who looked so not impressed.

"The only problem is," Iris said, "Because it is Cold's own recipe, none of us knows the secret ingredient and how to make it."

"Cocoa is cocoa. There's no secret recipe, you just put marshmallow in it and it's done." Len said, and then the speedster under the pile of blankets muttered "You and that damn marshmallow...." but no one really heard him.

"Shhh, shhh, save your breath honey," Lisa said, piling on more blankets over the speedster.

"I can make a good cocoa." Len said, shaking his head. "I'll make one for Scarlet."

But then Cisco shook his head.

"You're in for a losing battle, Len. We've all tried to make that cocoa for Barry but we all failed. It never tasted the same."

"Really." Len said, and Cisco nodded.

"Really." Cisco said.

"Uh-oh." Lisa said, looking at Len in alarm. "He's got that look." She said, and everyone looked at Len who had his patented smirk on his face.

"Is it just me or does he look like when he was about to make up elaborate series of bank heights in order to get Barry's attention when they were on cold wars?" Cisco slowly whispered in Caitlin's ears and Caitlin was nodding in horror.

"That's also the exact look when he froze up the City Hall when Barry ignored his phone calls." Caitlin whispered and Iris and Hartley were nodding next to them.

"I need to go shopping." The fourteen year old said, grabbing another jacket because his little parka was now lying on the speedster.

"I'll make that damn hot cocoa better than that man's secret recipe. I'll make cocoa that would put his cocoa and the rest of the world's cocoa to SHAME." Len said, then he stormed off to go to the mall. Lisa kissed on top of the blanket piles and hurried off to follow her brother.

 

"... When do you think it all went wrong?" Hartley said, and they all shook their heads silently.


	32. Mr.Cold vs Young Mr.Snart

Len wasn't joking about making the cocoa. 

"What do you mean, 'you can't possibly drink anymore'?" Len said, raising his one eyebrow and everybody looked at Len in disbelief. Barry wanted to run away from this evil hot cocoa-making little chef, if he could. His heart was by now pumping hot chocolate and his veins felt like marshmallow. 

"I think I just drank all the world's cocoa. There's no cocoa left out there." Hartley said, who was lying by the table on which there were dozens of mugs. His glasses were lost and he looked sick. 

"Seriously dude, there are nicer ways to kill us all." Cisco said somewhere behind Barry's couch, his hands waving like he was waving white flag. 

"Len, we love you," Iris started, who gently pushed aside what seemed like 7th cup of hot chocolate and exchanged looks with Caitlin, "and your cocoa is just fine!" She said. 

Len narrowed his eyes. Everybody flinched at that look. 

"I don't need 'just fine'", Len said, "You said that man's drink was 'perfect' for Scarlet." 

"It is perfect Len, I love it," Barry said trying to be helpful but Len glanced one look at him and Barry wormed back into his pile of blankets. Cisco looked at the speedster's safe fortress enviously and groaned. It wasn't that young Len's hot cocoa wasn't delicious, but there was limit to one's daily consumption of hot cocoa, however good it was. Damn the supervillains and their stubborn younger selves. 

"You know, we do have a way to solve this madness," Caitlin said, and everyone looked at her. She coughed a little at the sudden attention and shrugged. 

"I know where Cold saved his secret recipe in case of emergency." Caitlin said. That got everyone to raise their eyebrows. 

"What kind of emergency requires secret hot cocoa recipe?" Hartley said, 

"Really?" Barry asked, his head poking out from the blankets, 

"Why are you only saying this now? You could have saved us from drinking dozens of hot cocoa." Cisco said, and Caitlin shrugged. "I just remembered it now?" 

"Don't need explanation. Where is it?" Len asked, and Caitlin looked around her friends. 

"Well-----" 

 

 

*** 

 

 

"Hey Gideon," 

Barry said, smiling at the white face. The interface smiled back at Barry, her face gentle with smile. "Hello, Barry Allen." 

They were in the Time Vault on the basement floor and the room felt little crowded with all the people inside. Len and Lisa looked curiously around the room as Hartley raised his eyebrows. 

"Really? He kept his secret recipe in super artificial consciousness that operates through multiple timelines? Don't you think it's a little bit overkill?" he said, but Barry just grinned. It was nice to see Gideon's face, especially when it reminded him of the time when he and Len used to face chat via the interface. 

"I've seen her on Rip's ship before." Lisa said, "Though we've never talked." She waved her hand sheepishly at the face. 

Gideon smiled down at the little girl. 

"Actually I'm a different version of Gideon that you saw in Time master's ship, but it's nice to see you too, Miss Lisa Snart." The AI said politely. Lisa chirped happily and looked up at Barry who smiled in return. 

"By the way, as we're in here, you're still not able to connect me to my boyfriend, are you?" Barry asked, his voice hopeful as he asked but the interface shook her head apologetically. 

"I'm sorry Barry Allen, but the time flux is still too unstable when it concerns you and Mr.Cold. Mr.Hunter had asked me to do the same thing multiple times, but it's still too erratic for me to contact you directly with Mr.Cold." 

Barry's eyes widened at that. 

"Rip had asked you that?" Barry asked and the AI nodded. 

"Huh." Barry said, and felt Cisco's eyes on him. He looked back at his friend. 

"He did want to make it up to you, dude." Cisco said and Barry shrugged. 

"Maybe," Barry said, feeling yet another thread of anger at the Time Master slipping away. "But for the record, I'm still angry at him." 

Cisco grinned at him. 

"So, about this secret recipe of Cold's," Len said, looking at the interface with suspicious eyes, "Do you have it?"

"Young Mr.Snart." Gideon said, and if Barry wasn't mistaken, the AI actually looked smug looking down at young Len. "I do have the recipe that Mr.Cold left." Gideon said. 

Everybody waited. 

"... Well, can we see it?" Hartley asked when the silence stretched and Gideon shook her head. 

"I'm afraid Mr.Cold had sealed that information for the time period." The AI said. Barry cleared his throat. 

"Uh, Gideon? He used to make hundreds of that cocoa for me. Can't you just open it for us?" 

Gideon seemed to be conflicted for a moment then smiled gently at him. 

"I'm afraid Mr.Cold's orders were very clear. The information is under the top guarded part of my main memory unit for the designated time being." 

"What kind of person stores a recipe for cocoa in the freaking super AI?" Cisco said, "Wait, I know the answer."

"You know we can hack into you," Len said, narrowing his eyes at the hovering face, "We can get that information out of you."

"Wait, you can do that?" Cisco asked, bewildered. Len shrugged. 

"No, 'I' can't do that, but I can make you and Hartley do it for me." Len said, and it sounded so convincing that Cisco almost nodded in spite of himself. 

"Outrageous orders and bossy requests from the boss who wants to please the Flash," Hartley muttered under his breath, "Now why do I feel deja vu?" 

Iris poked Hartley's ribs and he grumbled and rolled his eyes. 

"You can try that, young Mr.Snart," Gideon said, her serene white face looking suspiciously sweet, "But I'll have you know that it will take exactly 2153 years and 267 days and 16 hours for them to break into my code, and extract the information you need." 

"Hey, it won't take us that long to hack you, we're pretty damn good scientists!" Cisco and Hartley said indignantly but the AI raised her one eyebrow. 

"I'm the artificial consciousness that crosses time and dimension. I can single-handedly coordinate the most sophisticated vehicle, the WaverRider, to save the millions of time and space. I am the single most powerful artificial intelligence in this world that won't have a match for the next 500 years." 

Everybody was gaping at the AI. 

"I was created by Barry Allen, and no, young Mr.Snart. There's nothing you can do to make me deny his partner's wishes." Gideon finished, her somehow towering presence becoming back to normal. 

"... Geez." Cisco said, looking back at Barry, "How come you have the most powerful and craziest fans?" 

Iris and Caitlin were shaking their heads. 

Barry blinked, and then gently stepped closer Gideon. 

"Then how come you don't grant my wishes?" Barry said, and the AI actually looked sorry as she turned her eyes to the speedster. 

"Nothing gives me more happiness than to assist you, Barry Allen," the AI said, her voice much gentler than when he was facing the other men, "But Mr.Cold had convinced me that it is ultimately good for you and made me promise not to spill." 

"That manipulative dick." Len muttered under his breath and the few who heard him couldn't help but snicker. 

Then Barry's eyebrows knitted, 

"Wait, what is this 'time period' that my boyfriend had set exactly?" Barry asked and Gideon tilted her head like she was thinking. 

"He appointed the time period between February 14th and 17th, this year." She answered and the speedster sighed. 

"So, coincidentally the same period when young Len and Lisa are around." Barry said, and the AI's silence answered his question. 

People could actually hear Len's brain working furiously to come up with hundred ways to kill Mr.Cold right now. 

"So, no recipe then. Great." Iris said, and as they all turned around to go, the AI's voice spoke up. 

"Actually, Mr. Cold had left a special message to grant young Mr.Snart's one wish." 

That made people stop in their tracks. 

"Really?" Cisco said, 

"Did he now?" Iris said, and 

"Why do I feel like this is a trap?" Barry said. And before he could interrupt, the fourteen year old was already standing in front of the AI. 

"Show me." Len said quickly before anybody could interrupt, "Show me the pictures of Cold." 

And everybody turned around gasping as Gideon smiled. Barry was waving his hands at the AI, 

"Nonono Gideon wait--- !" 

Then before anyone of them could stop it, the room was filled with hundreds of various hologram pictures of present-timeline Len and Barry as a couple. 

Except, 

"What the-," Len whispered, 

...There were mosaics on every face of Len's, making it impossible to identify who he was. 

".... ...." 

Barry was lost for words. In fact, everybody in the room were too busy gaping at the pictures.

"So he knew I would ask that, and he just wanted to rub in my face that he's dating Scarlet." Len said, his face looked scarily calm. 

"Mr.Cold had also left you a message, would you like to hear it, young Mr.Snart?" Gideon, who was the only unfazed person in the room said, and Len answered, gritting his teeth. 

"Read it." He said. 

The AI cleared her throat. "The message Mr.Cold had left says: 'You've made my life hell when I was little, making me constantly torture myself wondering who you are. So now it's your turn. Enjoy the pictures, kid.'" 

Everybody's jaw dropped. Barry didn't dare look at Len's face right now, and neither did any of his friends. Then the AI continued, 

"And he also said: 'That would serve him right, that little brat'. but I couldn't tell if it was directed at you young Mr.Snart or at his friend, Mick, due to the turbulence in the timeline." The AI said. 

Len looked like he had been frozen, then he slowly glared up at Gideon, grinning so coldly that made Cisco shiver. 

"Oh, you don't like me much, do you."

Gideon motioned like she was shrugging, though she was just a face hovering in mid-air so it looked like her face was jumping up and down. 

"I know I've said that I missed my boyfriend, but I so hate him now." Barry said, looking so done with his face in his palms. 

"Man, it's a vicious cycle." Cisco said, quietly so as not to be overheard by the fourteen year old who was currently in a staring contest with the AI. "One of them gave the other one hell of a childhood and both version of your boyfriends are too damn stubborn to back down." 

"Is it a wrong time to reflect on my whole life choices?" Barry said, and Cisco patted his friend on the shoulder. 

It was not an easy day to be the certain speedster in the Central city.


	33. Look who we've run into in the mall

Cisco and Caitlin were at the mall. Barry was feeling better, but was now enjoying the rest of his sick leave days on the couch in the Starlabs, and when Caitlin said she was going to go shopping for groceries, Lisa said she wanted to come with her. 

Naturally, she dragged her brother with her, ('Come on, Lenny, you're the one who's been emptying their Cocoa stack' she would say, because Len still hadn't given up on making the best cocoa in the world, to rub it in Barry's boyfriend-what's his face). 

And Caitlin dragged Cisco with her because she needed some man power. ('Man power, really? Him?' Hartley said when she said it, but Caitlin looked so not impressed with the Piper's comment. 'Between Barry resting and Joe at work, the only muscle power in this lab is Iris and me. I'm taking Cisco because Iris has a date.' She said, and that shut Hartley right up). 

They took two large carts from the counter, Cisco and Caitlin each dragged one, and Lisa clung to Cisco's cart and was chirping happily like it was a go-cart. 

"Wheeee!" Lisa sad as Cisco twirled the cart as she wished, and giggled happily. "Faster, Cisco, faster!" 

Caitlin snickered and took photos of the two while Len looked deadpanned at the idiot and his sister. Cisco seemed out of breath when she finally stopped her various requests and Caitlin and Len both looked down at the scientist who was bending forward and catching his breath. 

"Stop. Stop looking at me like I'm the most pathetic person in the world," Cisco groaned, and Len and Caitlin grinned evilly together. 

"How come we do grocery shopping for like every four days, anyway?" Cisco muttered when he finally caught his breath and pushed the cart again. "We buy tons of stuffs, and four days later, we're back here again, it's like we're feeding an army."

Caitlin smiled at that. 

"We do have many mouths to feed, and a hunger-crazed speedster in our midst." Caitlin said, to which Len nodded solemnly and Cisco sighed. 

"Man. It's really unrealistic how much can Barry consume. Cisco said, I mean, I know the figures of how much calories to burn but it's still surreal." 

"He needs those calories, especially now that he's feeling better." Caitlin said, nodding and smiling to Lisa when the little girl brought a small box of snack and put it in the cart. Lisa smiled gratefully and trotted away to look for other snacks. Len looked up at the shelf and nodded, "I think Barry would like it."

Cisco looked at shelf of the box of Cereals Len had pointed out and nodded. 

"Yeah, he loves that. You ready?" He said and Len nodded. And then Len pushed the Cereal boxes out of the shelf like dominos while Cisco pushed the cart to catch the dozens of falling boxes. 

"Nice." They grinned at each other as the mountain boxes stacked nicely in the cart. Caitlin shook her head like she was done and that's when the two saw a passing mother and a little girl gaping at the two. 

".. We have lots of stomachs to feed?" Cisco said, but it sounded more like a question than a statement. The woman shook her head and pulled her daughter with her. 

Len shrugged as Cisco kept opening and closing his mouth. "Meh." Len said, throwing dozens of cartons of drinks into the cart as he said. "She haven't fed the hungry speedster yet. I bet she'd run away crying if she ever had to." 

"Barry IS scary when he's hungry." Cisco nodded. They finished the general grocery cart when Lisa came back, hopping as she again clung to the cart(Cisco whimpered), "I found the aisle for Hot cocoa!" 

Len grinned. "Then what are we waiting for?" 

"No, not again. I'm not drinking any hot cocoa for like, another decade." Cisco tried to slip away, but Lisa was already guiding the cart to her way and he whined at the boy. "You're evil." Cisco muttered. 

"Speaking of the evil, where are we on the meta woman that made Barry sick?" Caitlin joined in as she tossed a Mango pack into the cart. As she spoke they arrived at the aisle where there were endless shelves of different hot cocoa, marshmallows and various spices including cinnamon and powders. 

Cisco wanted to cry when he saw Len's eyes sparkle as he swiftly and scanned the whole section in skilled professionalism. 

"I can work with this." Len said grinning, and Cisco sighed. 

"God. I'm with Barry. I blame everything on Rip." 

Caitlin smiled as Lisa happily ran to pick up various mini marshmallows and Len started throwing each of the cocoa powders in the cart. 

"So, the evil meta lady?" Caitlin said, and Cisco spoke as he watched the two kids in the aisle. 

"Yeah, Hartley and I have gathered other video feeds we could find where she faced other metas, and she always got the upper hand because they didn't know what was coming like the Flash did. It seems like she can literally suck out the meta powers." Cisco said. 

"But it's not permanent, right? She gave Barry his power back." Lisa said when as she tossed yet another bag of marshmallow into the cart and Cisco nodded. 

"Yeah, but then based on what we found on other feeds, the metas who had dealt with the meta lady longer had again lost their powers, and then it was kind of repeated." 

"Huh." Caitlin said. "But if she could take away other metas' powers, why give them back? Why risk it?" 

"Maybe she can't hold it. Maybe that's her power's limit." Len said, and Cisco nodded. 

"Aside from that, we couldn't find much useful things about her." Cisco said. 

"We do know some things about her," Lisa said. "Huh." Cisco said, "Well, we know she likes the flares," Cisco said. 

"We know she doesn't seem to be bothered by the idea of robbery or grand theft," Caitlin said, 

"And we know that one thing she likes is-----" Len said, then suddenly there was a loud BOOM that shot across the building. 

Everybody in the aisle stumbled back as suddenly the temperature dropped by seconds. Lisa looked up as the snowflakes fell down from the ceiling and frost was spreading through the wall. 

".... A mall." Len finished, looking so not impressed. Cisco paled as he put Lisa and others behind him. 

"Call Barry, call Barry, call Barry," Caitlin whispered, and then as screams and sound of people scurrying for an escape, there was a pair of boots coming down the aisle. 

"Okay, so where do I start my shopping?" A familiar voice said, and the footstep stopped. 

"Oh. Hello there. What are you guys shopping for?" The meta lady said, and as Cisco tapped on his wrist watch to alert the Starlabs, she looked at the cart next to them and tilted her head. 

"Looks like you're shopping for a cocoa to feed an army." She said, grinning. Her hands were toying with white fog-like energy, ready to strike at the last minute and Caitlin gulped. 

"Not an army," Len said, and the lady seemed intrigued by the lack of fear in 14 year old's eyes, and Len grinned in return. 

"Just one speedster." Len said, and as she raised her eyebrow in question, crackling golden lightning flashed across the building and stopped right in front of her. 

"Flash," the meta lady said, and Barry grinned in return. Then the woman tilted her head, "Just how much cocoa do you consume?" And Barry shook his head. 

"Don't ask." Barry said, shaking his head. Then the meta gathered storm in her hands, throwing it to the speedster and Barry flashed his friends away from the attack. 

"I'll get you guys out of here." Barry said, when he glanced at the meta lady who was summoning purple energy in her hand, but Len grabbed his hand. 

"You can't fight this alone, you don't know how to defeat her yet without your speed." Len said, and Barry looked at the boy and his friends.

"Yes, Barry, we'll stay here, just out of her shots and we can see how she forms her attack and come up with plans." Caitlin said, and Barry looked conflicted before Lisa grabbed another of Barry's hand. 

"Barr, we want to fight with you." She said, and Barry looked around as two Snarts holding his hand and finally sighed in defeat. 

"All right, but you have to stay right by Cisco and Caitlin, and don't come near the fight. Okay?" Barry said, and Len and Lisa nodded quickly. Barry smiled as he felt the two little hands, however they've grown was still so small in his palms. God he loved these kids, and he needed to win in order to protect them. 

Barry gave their hands the last squeeze, and as he turned around he saw the meta woman standing in the middle of the large hall, waiting for the Flash to come down. Barry took a deep breath. 

"All right. Then it's time to pay back the evil meta lady who made me drink all those cocoa this week." Barry said, and before Len could comment on that, the speedster flashed forward.


	34. 110 seconds

"Here," Cisco said, handing out little earpieces to everyone, "This will connect us to Barry's communicator."

They all took it, and as Len did so the golden lightning was zipping around the mall, trying to get everyone out of the building while the meta woman tried to hit him with purple energy or a snowstorm.

"This feels like a deja vu to me, are we here for the same dance, Flash?" The meta woman smiled and shouted, while Barry zipped away two couples from a heading snow wave.

"Because if I remember correctly, last time ended with you being buried under the snow while I got away."

"I'm all for the dances with you, but I'd prefer it if we didn't do it in the mall full of civilians." Barry shouted back. There were too many people still in the building, and Barry was getting worried. The meta lady's grin got only bigger at Barry's retort.

"Aw, who wouldn't want to dance with you? But, I like my stage as it is, thank you very much." She made a little bowing gesture and Len rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, is she flirting with Scarlet in the middle of the heist? That's professional." He gritted and Cisco rolled his eyes next to him.

"Yeah, imagine villains flirting aggressively to the heroes during their heists, that's the worst." Caitlin poked Cisco's side and he muttered something like pot calling kettle black under his breath but both Snarts didn't hear it.

"So.. evil meta lady, why are you doing this?" Barry asked, trying to make her stop throwing stuffs at him.

"Why do you have to rob a mall to go shopping?" he said, as he ducked from the purple lights once again, and the meta woman shrugged.

"I need to stock up the storage in a short time."

"Why? Are you going somewhere?" Barry asked, and the woman shook her head. 

"No, I need to because I'm going hiding." she said, and this time her voice didn't sound any more fun. This made Barry pause.

"What? From whom?"

"From me," the voice said from behind and Barry whipped around. He knew that voice. He would remember it anywhere.

"Eiling." Barry said and the General grinned.

"Glad you made it, Elena." Wade said, and Barry scrunched his face in confusion.

"What?" He said, and before he could hear Len and Ciscos scream 'Barry! Behind you!', the purple light hit him from behind like a wall. Barry stumbled forward, looking back in surprise and shock.

"Sorry, Flash. He made me this deal that if I could get you to him, he'll let me go free." The meta lady, no, Elena said she stepped forward.

Barry heard Caitlin and Cisco yelling furiously in his earpiece but it was already happening. He couldn't reach his speed force and his legs felt like lead.

"Yes, and you did a very good job." The General said, grinning and Barry knew it then it was going horribly wrong.

"He's lying." Barry gritted, trying desperately to reach the speedforce that seemed to have left his entire body, "He doesn't make promises. He's lying to you."

But Elena just shook her head apologetically as she walked toward the General. Barry saw from his peripheral vision of Len and his friends running down the stairs, and shook his head. "No, don't come any closer."

Wade made a gesture and the entrance was filled with armed soldiers, blocking the entire exits.

Elena stopped in her track, looking alarmed for the first time.

"What are you doing?" She said, halting and looking at Wade and the General smiled as he pulled up a gun.

"Thanks for your service, Elena. Now you need to come home."

The look on Elena's face was crumbling. She snarled and stepped back, balling her hands into a fist threatening to break snowstorm.

"No, you promised, you promised if I get you the Flash, you won't hurt me anymore." She said, and Wade shook his head like he was handling a particularly pouty child.

"No, I'm not going to hurt you. Look how beautiful work I've already done with you." Wade said, "Your powers, and so much potentials. The experiments will give us future that no ordinary men could ever dream of. I've made you who you are." Wade said, and Barry saw as Elena's whole body began to tremble with fear.

"No, no more experiments, I can't go back there, you won't take me. Not this time." She swung her arms forward, raising a huge snowstorm in front of her. "You can't make me!" Then the ice wave roared forward, as soldiers screamed and ran around to avoid the hit.

"Barry, you need to get out of there, you're defenseless!" Cisco said into the comm but then Barry saw as the rest of the soldiers who didn't get buried under the massive mountains of ice began positioning themselves to aim at Elena.

She looked around wildly like a cornered animal and threw another waves of ice toward them, backing away from them when she was hit by a taser gun.

Elena screamed and twisted her body, and then fell to the ground still twitching.

"Why did you have to make this hard, Elena," Wade said, as he approached her. The meta tried to scramble away, but was soon caught by the General. Wade held metal cuffs in his hand, and he put one of them on Elena's wrist.

Elena twisted like she was bitten by a snake. A spark of purple and white light burst from her cuffed hand and then faded away.

"Now the other hand," Wade said and as he reached for her left hand, she growled and made a knife-like icicle in her hand and stabbed his leg.

Wade screamed, pulling back cursing and drew out his gun. Elena tried to back away but the handcuff in her left hand brightened and she couldn't summon the needed power in time. Just as Eiling pulled the trigger, a red streak blurred past him and Elena was gone.

"Flash!" Wade shouted, and Barry stopped where Len and his friends were. Elena seemed out of breath and confused, as she still staggered from sudden movement.

"What.. Flash?" She looked up from Barry's arms, still confused and blinked. "You saved me, why?"

Barry let Cisco and Caitlin take her off Barry's arms as she still looked at him for answers. Barry shook his head.

"I know you didn't have a choice. I know what it's like to be subject of experiment and I understand why you did what you did."

"But I tried to kill you," Elena still looked confused and shocked, and whispered, "Are you crazy?"

"You have no idea." Len said, and Barry grinned at the kid.

"Can you reverse what you've done to me?" Barry asked, and Elena reached for his hand and tried to use her powers but then chewed her lip. "...I can't. This cuff, it messes with my powers and I can't control them."

"Hold on, let me try." Barry vibrated his hand, reached for the cuff but then his hand bounced back from the cuff.

Barry looked surprised and Elena shook her head. "It's no use. Eiling is obsessed with you and everything he's made are speedster-proof."

"Shit." Barry said, as he felt his speedforce leave his body once more. He looked around. Eiling and his soldiers were moving forward, and there were still too many people in the building along with his friends.

"This is a disaster," Cisco muttered, and Barry looked at the meta.

"How do I know when my power will come back again?" Barry said, and Elena shook her head apologetically.

"I don't exactly know how my power works, it just makes other metas' power come and go and I use the opportunity."

Barry felt his heart sink but then Len said, "You have 24 seconds."

"What?" Barry looked around at the kid as well as the others. Len was looking directly at Barry.

"I found the pattern while you were fighting her. Once her power hit you, you lose your power for 50 seconds. And then your powers comes back, for 20 seconds." Len said, "And you need to use that timing. Now you've got 7 seconds before your power comes back."

"Damn, who is this kid?" Elena asked, clearly impressed but Barry didn't have time and looked at Len. Len wasn't done talking.

"I'll count the seconds for you, and you'll need to run, Scarlet." Len said, tapping at his earpiece and Barry nodded. He felt his heart race, looking into those young blue eyes and then felt the courage rising inside him.

He could do this. He could do this. 20 seconds. Len's determined blue eyes. And then Len said, just as Barry's veins flashed with the first spark of lightning, "Run, Scarlet."

And he was off.


	35. Every missteps I've made

20 seconds. Barry could do this. He was on the run, feeling the ligtning erupt in his veins, and ran. First he ran toward the General, taking out Eiling's taser gun from his hand and removed all weapons from his body, as well as rest of the soldiers'. He then ran to the camping equipment corner, brought all the ropes from there and bound their bodies. 

When he was satisfied with what he's done, Barry ran to the top floor and scanned down from there, trying to pull out as many civilians from the building as possible before his time ran out. As he pulled down 21st people from the building, he felt his speedforce lose and leave his body, and ran back in front of the general. 

Barry could see the slow movement from the General's eyes, as the man and his soldiers tried to get out of the tied state and glared at the speedster. 

Barry felt out of breath as the speedforce finally left him, but he was facing 56 men who were struggling in binding ropes like caterpillars. The sirens of police cars were getting nearer, and he knew that Joe was at the head of them.

"Flash!" Cisco and the others came running, and they all looked down at the struggling soldiers on the floor. 

"Damn. You really caught him," Cisco said, looking at the general in half horror and disgust. 

"You're going to prison, general. You and your experiments on these metas over." Barry said, but Eiling's smile only grew wider. That smile got Barry cold. Something was wrong. 

"You are a rare breed, Flash. You have no idea how long I've wanted to catch you. What I could do with you, with you and your power." Eiling said, and Barry felt his gut twitch with disgust. Len was glaring down at the general beside him, and Barry shook his head. 

"Sorry you won't get a chance. Get up."

General smilled. Then Barry paused. Something was wrong. He missed something. What did he miss? 

It was the first tremor that shook the ground that alerted Barry and his friends. 

"What was that?" Cisco said, looking around bewildered, and Caitlin was holding Lisa. 

"Was it an earthquake?" Lisa said, and then it hit the ground again, this time much stronger and people in the as well as the other soldiers stumbled. 

"What did you do?" Barry said, as he scanned the area quickly and Eiling smiled. 

"20 seconds, your smart kid there said, right?" The General said, "Well, it's about to be over in 3, 2, and--" 

As Barry watched Eiling's face in horror, he felt the power in him drown away like it did the first time. Speedforce was leaving him as one of the soldiers on the ground began shaking and screaming. 

"What are you doing to him?" Barry said, quickly running to the woman in normal speed. "Hey, hey are you all right?" 

The soldier was breathing fast. She almost looked like-- -

"Scarlet, she's a meta too." Len suddenly said, and Barry was already watching the woman's eyes burn bright red. What--

The ground rumbled again, starting from where the soldier's hands touched the ground. The meta screamed again, and with enormous power she ripped off his restraints and stood up. 

"Oh no, Flash, get out of there!" Cisco yelled, but the meta had already grabbed Barry's wrist. 

"Meet my new project, the Quaker." Eiling said. 

The new meta woman was breathing like she was in pain and her bright eyes looked straight into Barry's eyes. 

Barry embraced for the expected pain as the meta screamed again, but nothing happened and she just shook his head and screamed once more. 

"I won't hurt him. I won't hurt the Flash." The Quaker said, as she gripped Barry's wrist like it was a lifeline. Her voice broke from the obvious effort she was making, like she was fighting something invisible off. 

"He's a good guy. He's saved my mom and my sister when that building collapsed. I saw it on the news." Quaker said, gritting her teeth as she said so. 

Barry's eyes widened. He didn't expect this. Then he realized the meta couldn't have been older than 25. She was experimented, tortured to bend to the General's wills. 

"Why do you all have to make these things harder." Eiling said, slidding out a small controller in his palm and clicked it. Then the meta's wrist began to burn bright red as the meta's scream got even louder and more painful. 

"Stop! You're hurting her, stop!!" Barry yelled, but even as he screamed Barry saw the pain in the meta's eyes, her other hand which was not gripping Barry's wrist was pulsing on the floor, making the entire building shake like a reed. 

Slates were falling to the ground as people who in the building screamed and the walls were coming apart. 

Barry looked back at the general, desperate to see people and his friends stumble back and forth in the shake. 

"The building will collapse, you're going to get them all killed!" Barry yelled, but the General didn't move his hand off the switch. Barry needed his speed, he desperately needed his speed to save these people. 

"Scarlet, hold on. Five more seconds." Len said, and as he said, another man rose from the group of soldiers. His entire body was shining like he was covered in diamonds and the sight made Barry's heart drop. 

"I'm done with Quaker and she is disobeying my orders." Eiling said to the man, nodding indifferently at her direction. "Dispose her." 

"Wait, no!" Barry saw as the man slid his hands on his arm and produced a transparent spear of glass. Just as his speedforce started to flood back to him, Barry saw like in slow motion the spear thrown straight to Quaker's heart. 

He saw his own hands slowly reaching for the spear as the tip touched Quaker's chest and gritted his teeth. 

He could do this. Nobody was going to die again because he wasn't fast enough. Distant screams of his name felt like thunder in his ears but Barry didn't recognize it. He pushed away Quaker's body and grabbed the tip of the spear as he lunged himself in front of the woman. 

"----arry!" Caitlin's voice screamed as time suddenly snapped back to normal, as Barry stood with his side severely ripped from the spear. He looked back at Quaker, and her eyes were huge, looking at Barry in horrified expression on her face but she was okay, she was unhurt. 

Barry tried to wave his hand at her, trying to calm her down because his speedforce will fast heal the wound but then he almost collapsed on his knees. 

"Scarlet!" He heard Len and Lisa scream and run toward him but he couldn't raise his head, he pushed his bleeding side with his hand and bit his lip so as not to scream out loud. 

"You got hit before the speedforce was fully with you," Caitlin whispered as she grabbed at Barry's wound, ripping the end of her shirt to tie down the bleeding. "I can't stop the bleeding," her voice sounded panicked and afraid and then she screamed as a soldier grabbed her shoulder and yanked her away from Barry. 

Barry panted as he saw the soldiers who were freed by the new meta hauled Cisco and Lens away from him. He needed to stop them but time flew by and he already felt his speed leaving his body again. He saw Len screaming and struggling against the soldier who grabbed him, and felt his chest tear up at the sight. 

"Don't.. touch them Eiling, I swear to god, do not touch them." Barry gasped as the speedforce left his body once again and the pain struck him in full force. The pain almost made Barry blind as he blinked furiously to see the General approaching him with a grin. 

"The Scarlet speedster. Finally at my mercy." Eiling said, as Barry blinked back tears from his pain and tried to look up. Eiling was on his one knee, grabbing Barry's chin and smiling down at him. 

And just as Eiling leaned down to put on another set of cuffs on Barry's wrists, the windows of the building burst open, with guns blazing and sonic attack. 

"Flash! We're here!!" Joe shouted as he fired at the General, and General cursed and hid behind his meta's transparent shield. 

Barry rolled away from him, biting down scream as he did so, and saw Hartley attacking the soldiers who were holding Len and Ciscos. 

"Flash, you okay there?" Hartley shouted, as Len and Lisa came running to Barry and Barry grabbed and held them close. 

"Barr, Barry," Lisa said, her face full of tears and fear, "You're bleeding all over." She whispered. 

"I'm okay, Lis. Are you guys okay?" 

"You're bleeding, Scarlet." Len said, and Barry didn't have time to respond before another shriek of Quaker rang across the building. The General was retreating with his soldiers but he dialed the controller to maximum, causing the Quaker to twist in agony and the building started to shake again. 

Large chunks of cement and bricks began falling down the ceiling and it was like a scene of hell spread in front of their eyes. Joe and the police were trying to evacuate people while others held off the general, but the building was collapsing too fast. 

He just saw a glimpse of golden light behind the Snarts and he drew his breath. Barry knew what he had to do. 

"Len, you need to get out of here with Lisa." Barry said. 

"You're coming with us," Len said, his face hardening. "We're not leaving you." 

Cisco and Caitlin was by their side now, and Len shot a glare at the scientist when he tried to drag him away from Barry. 

"You can't make us leave here, not when you've decided to stay." Len gritted his teeth. 

"I know you've promised me you'd make it up for me." Barry said, and the Snarts and his friend all seemed lost for a moment. But before they could ask, a voice spoke up from behind them. 

"I did." 

They turned around sharply and Cisco's mouth fell open. 

"Rip?" Cisco said, as the translucent form of Rip Hunter's body shone with golden light before them. 

"This is how you make it up for me." Barry said, looking directly at the Time Master's eyes. 

"Keep them safe." He said, as realization dawned on Len's face as he tried to back away from Rip. But Rip got hold of the kids before they could try to run away. 

"Let go of me, don't you dare," Len shouted as he struggled viciously against Rip's hold and he looked at Barry. 

"No Scarlet, I won't, don't make me, don't," the boy's voice dropped and it broke Barry's heart to watch the eyes that he loved filled with so much pain. Barry shook his head, standing up and ignoring the searing white pain from his side. 

"You asked me why I couldn't change the timeline. Run back in time to save you and Lisa from the past." Barry said, and he was counting. Counting like Len had just taught him to. 35 seconds before his power came back... 

"I'm sorry, I don't blame you for that Scarlet, I don't, I'm so sorry---" Len said, his voice cracking with tears. 

"I have changed back my timeline once." Barry said, 31 seconds. "I have changed the time because I have missed my mother, I have missed my father and I have missed the family and the time I could have had with them." Barry said, wiping out the tear wetting little Len's cheeks. 

"But now I know that every missteps I thought I've made, every good and bad things that have happened to me, led me here, led me to become who I am, led me to you." 

The building was collapsing around them, policemen had dragged both Cisco and Caitlin away from the building. 

There were screams and cries everywhere, and all Barry could see now was blue of Len's teary eyes. 

"And I don't regret that, every second of it." 

"Scarlet, no," Len was crying, and the sight of the kid crying like he didn't even notice it broke Barry's heart. 

"You'll see me again, I promise." Barry said, and then turned his head. 

"Rip," Barry said, pulling away from the boy and nodding to him. Rip's translucent hands began to shine bright gold, and before Len and Lisa could protest, the next moment the kids were gone. 

The roar of the falling building hammered Barry's ears but it felt so distant and away from Barry's mind now. Rip's shimmering form looked at Barry, and Barry nodded to him, smiling. 

"Thank you Rip. Thanks for making good on a promise." Barry said, as he felt the clock ticking to an end and the speedforce beginning to pour back into him. 6 seconds. 

"I'm not done yet." Rip said, before his form shifted and disappeared into thin air leaving only glimmer of golden light. 4 seconds. 

Barry turned around, facing the collapsing building. He could do this, there were only few people left in the building that the police couldn't reach and he could save them. 

His side burned like it was on flame but he could do this. He counted every second because it gave him strength. Strength like Len gave him when he knew what he could do to protect him. 

3,  
2,  
1\. 

And Barry ran. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barry felt his knee give out, he was on the floor and he just evacuated the last family in the building. He wanted to shout out to see if he'd missed anyone, if there was still people that he failed to save, but now the building seemed to roar alone, crashing down massive cement pillars and concrete. 

He had to leave now, he knew but his body seemed to have stopped working, his side felt numb for too long and his speedforce once again leaving his body like a betrayal. Barry tried to cling desperately to the escaping speedforce, he was in the middle of the crumbling building and his eyes kept falling shut. 

God he had a promise to keep. He needed to see a certain blue. But all the thing he could see now was his own red blood spreading on the grey cement floor and a flicker of golden lights. 

... Wait. 

... Golden light? 

"I told you I wasn't done with you," Rip said as his translucent form hovered in front of him again. But even the form looked ghostly and transparent. 

"You can't help me." Barry slurred, fighting to keep his eyes open. Rip only grinned. 

"No," A sudden voice said from behind Barry, 

"... But I can." 

Before Barry could even turn around, he felt strong arm around his body, and felt himself being lifted. Barry felt the familiar soft fabric of the parka covering him, and then was faced with the blue eyes that he's been praying for. 

"Len?" Barry blinked, unable to believe this was real.

"Hey Scarlet." 

22 year old Len smiled back at him.


	36. The reason why

Something warm. Something strong. Something that held him.

Barry was having the greatest dream, the part where you have the most perfect sleep and on the verge of waking up and falling back to sleep, slightly leaning toward the falling back to sleep part. The white sheet smelled like his boyfriend and a whiff of freshly cleaned fabric and the feel of soft sheet on Barry's skin was heavenly.

Barry never wanted to open his eyes and be away from this bed.

"You're smiling in your sleep." Len said, and Barry felt his boyfriend's lips on his cheek and on his forehead.

"Were you watching me sleep?" Barry said, narrowly opening his eyes and shooting a glance at his boyfriend, and Len smiled and climbed up on the bed. He smelled like freshly brewed coffee and Barry hummed in approval.

"Just admiring the view." Len said, and Barry knew Len was leaning back, his one knee on the bed and the other planted on the floor to look down at the spread out speedster on the sheets. Barry knew he was naked, but was too comfortable and carefree to cover himself. After all, the low hum of approval his boyfriend was making was definitely flattering.

"Though I am all for you staying in my bed looking like this," Len said, and Barry could definitely feel his boyfriend's eyes rake over appreciatively over his body, "Breakfast is ready and you need food."

"'M not hungry." Barry said, and yelped when Len pinched his bottom.

"Hey!" Barry said, flipping over with the sheets to cover his lower body and glared at the ex-villain. Len was just smirking, no regrets, and Barry knew his glare only made his boyfriend proud. Len was topless and was only wearing his jeans and Barry really appreciated the view too. Perks of having a hot boyfriend.

"Scarlet," Len said, grinning down at him.

... Correction. A very, very hot boyfriend.

Len leaned down and kissed on Barry's nose and when Barry scrunched his nose in mock annoyance, Len laughed.

Barry closed his eyes again, trying to find that perfect spot to snuggle his pillow.

"I'm never going to leave this bed." Barry murmured against the pillow, feeling soft lips trailing down his cheek and to his neck and onto his shoulder.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes," Barry said, trying to swat away the persistent hand that kept tickling his skin, "This is where I live now. 'm not going anywhere."

Drifting. Drifting. The low sound of Len's laugh and the smell of cotton was really sleep inducing.

"Go away, I'm bonded with this bed and he's now my new best friend/boyfriend."

Len made a scandalized gasping sound.

"You're ditching me for this piece of sheet?" Len said, earning the speedster's annoyed groan.

"God. Just because you said that horrible, horrible pun, I'm definitely leaving you for him." Barry said, opening his eyes as narrowly as possible to shoot a death glare at Len. Len shrugged.

"What about the crimes that the Flash has to stop?" Len said, and Barry huffed against the obvious provocation.

"They'll just have to happen on this bed if they want my attention, because 'm not going anywhere." Barry said, and yelped when Len suddenly duck underneath the sheet to kiss Barry's stomach.

"Len!" Barry half-yelped and half-laughed out loud, struggling to get away from those evil hands but Len had the upper hand here. The skilled hands were everywhere, and Barry was giggling and moaning like crazy while Len nipped and licked Barry's skin under the covers.

"I do have some very illegal ideas about what I could do to you on this bed." Len said, when he briefly stopped for a second to meet Barry's eyes, both of them were tangled in sheet and Barry's hair was absolute mess.

"God, Len! I'm awake, I'm awake!" Barry finally squealed in defeat after a while and Len's face appeared from under the sheets, with that smirk that Barry both loved and hated.

"Why do I like you again?" Barry asked, catching his breath and looking down at his boyfriend who was resting his chin on the speedster's abdomen, and Len tilted his head, pretending to ponder the question.

"Because you are the most ridiculously virtuous, naive, hopeful hero in the world and my bad boy aura seemed like a giant neon sign to you, crying for help."

When Barry looked at Len in horrified expression, Len huffed out laugh and added, "And I make you the best hot cocoa in the world." Len smirked and Barry rolled his eyes. Len had once told Barry that it was like watching a particularly judgy puppy when he did that but Barry didn't care. And by the smirk on Len's face, Barry knew Len was thinking exactly the same.

"You and your hot cocoa. I don't understand your relationship with the drink."

Len just shrugged and grinned at that. "You like me for that." Len said.

"And why do you like me?" Barry said, his mouth suddenly popping out the question without thinking and god even with being the fastest man alive, it didn't prevent him from asking stupid questions. Barry held his breath, trying furiously to think of ways to take it back. But then Len just smiled, and climbed up the bed to look directly into Barry's eyes.

"The reason I love you Scarlet," Len said, and Barry felt his heart pounding in his chest, looking into the blue eyes that looked right into his heart and soul, and Len continued, "is because---"

 

 

 

"... Scarlet. Scarlet. Wake up."

Barry blinked open his eyes. Icy blue eyes, looking down at him.

Barry felt disoriented and shook as he looked into the same, yet somehow different, pair of blue eyes that looked at him in concern.

"...Len?" Barry said, and his voice sounded cracked even to his own ears. And he blinked again to look at the guy because god the kid was so grown up now, there was little left of the little kid in his feature.

"God. This is so weird and awesome," Cisco's voice said from behind and Barry was suddenly very aware of the line of faces behind the glass window and he blinked. Iris and Caitlin flinched and ducked down when Barry turned his head. Barry was so not impressed.

"How are you feeling?" Len asked, and Barry was lost for words at his face for a moment. It felt like a second ago when he was holding 14 year old kid in his arms.

"I--- I'm...." Barry said, fumbling for words and another whisper came behind the window.

"He looks exactly like Leonard Snart, it's freaking me out." It was Hartley's voice this time and Barry and Len could hear the scientist being pinched. "Ow!!" Hartley squeaked. "That's because it IS Len, you idiot." It was Iris who whispered furiously. "And be careful. They might see us."

Len gave Barry a very impressive eye-roll and stood up, walking to the window and tapping on it, making everybody hiding behind it jolt in surprise.

"And they also might be able to hear you, too." Len said.

"We weren't snooping, not snooping," Caitlin said to Barry, and everybody's eyes fell onto Barry on the bed.

"... What happened? How did you come-- What happened at the mall? How can you be here?" Barry asked, still stunned by the fact that Len was now as same height as Barry himself, and everybody shrugged.

"We were dying to hear the story too, and now that you're awake, he's finally going to tell us." Cisco said, and Barry looked at Len.

"Well, I was 14 year old," Len said, sitting down on the chair next to the bed, "And that's where it starts."


	37. We Cross our hearts and hope to

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry to tell you I've changed new Len's age from 18 to 22, I made a mistake. Thanks for Nevraukowen, and I'm really sorry again for the confusion!! <33333

Len was about to tell people his story, but then an alarm went off. 

"What?"

Cisco looked down at his cell, and furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Bank robbery by elastic meta couples are are dressed as Santa and a Rudolf. Geez, these days they do everything as couple." 

Cisco looked up, and flinched when he was faced with girls' death glares. 

Len looked around, and Barry was looking at him in puppy eyes. Len sighed. 

"You want to go, don't you?" Len said, and Barry nodded. 

"I'm so sorry, but I promise I'll be back in a flash to hear everything you tell me." Barry said, pulling out the IV from his arms but Caitlin was already by Barry's side. Sometimes Barry suspected Caitlin was a closet speedster. 

"No, Barry, you've just recovered from massive blood loss, remember?" Caitlin said, and Barry pouted. "But I'm already healed, it's no problem--" 

Then another blast of alarm went off, and Cisco pulled out a pad from his hip pocket and groaned. 

"A robbery is happening at the Northend department store, and the robbers are dressed as Christmas elves to get past the security." Cisco said, "Ugh. There goes a bunch of children's childhood down the drain." 

Len was frowning in confusion. 

"Why are the bad guys in your city dressed up as holiday fairy tales?" Len asked, 

"Because it's Christmas Eve, you silly." 

A voice said, and everybody turned around. Barry's eyes widened. 

"Lisa?"

"Bear!" 

A beautiful brunette woman greeted at the door and Barry smiled. 

"What? You're all grown up too!" 

"Of course, I can't stay 12 forever, duh," Lisa said, but she was already fast across the room, standing by the bed and hugging the speedster. Everyone saw as Len rolled his eyes but he didn't stop his sister from hugging Barry. 

"Wow. I can't---, really, this is too much." Barry said against the firm hold of Lisa's hug. 

"Nu-huh, I'm getting my fair share of hug, I've waited 8 years for this." Lisa said, and Barry laughed. 

"No, no I mean, you guys growing up so fast, you look all grown up now, it's really amazing." 

"It's fast for you, but like I've said, it was 8 years for us." Lisa said, glancing at her brother and Len shrugged. 

"7 years, 190 days, 18 hours." Len said and everybody gaped at him. 

"No, you can't possible know that." Cisco said, gasping. ".. But is it really?" 

Len raised his eyebrow and grinned. 

"Now that's the part where it's never going to change," Cisco said but he was grinning too. 

"So you guys are how olds now..?" Iris asked and Len shrugged again. 

"I'm 22, and Lis is 20." 

"Wow." Iris said, and everybody felt the same. "So---" Iris said, but was cut off with another alarm that blasted in the room. 

"Sorry, sorry, my app is beeping again." Cisco said, pulling out yet another I-pad from his jacket and tapping on it furiously. He rolled his eyes. 

"Great. A bunch of crazy teenagers stole a lot of fireworks." 

"Why the hell would that raise the Flash alert system?" Hartley asked, and Cisco scrolled down and said, 

"Yeah, I know... wait, here, it says they've stolen the firework amount of 2100kg." 

"WHAT?" Everybody said at once, and Cisco jumped. 

"Kids these days, right?" Lisa shrugged and said, and Len smiled next to her and somehow it looked even scarier than the news to the people in the room. 

"Really, I have to go." Barry said, suddenly snapping back to his senses and got out of the bed. Caitlin tried to stop him but this time Barry zipped across the room to stand next to the door. 

"I promise I feel fine. Besides, I can't let these bad guys ruin Christmas for the people in the city." Barry said with his best puppy eyes he's got and Caitlin bit her lip. She tried, she tried real hard, but eventually her lips quivered and said, 

"Damn you Barry Allen and your puppy eyes. I swear to god one day it won't work for me." She said, while Iris muttered, "Yeah, keep thinking that." under her breath. 

"We can go with Scarlet." Len said suddenly, and Barry blinked because when did Len move next to him? 

"We can keep an eye on him from doing something reckless and help move things faster. And he'll be here in time for celebration." Len said, and Lisa was also nodding next to Barry, and when did Lisa move next to him? These Snarts were really stealthy. 

"But we can't let you go out there with Barry, it's too dangerous," Caitlin said, but even as she said it it sounded weak. And Len and Lisa smirked. 

"Oh, don't worry," Len said, "We know how to take care of ourselves." He said, and for some reason, everybody shuddered at his words.

"I still can't believe what I'm looking." Caitlin said under her breath and Hartley nodded. 

"Yeah, it's like watching a pair of GQ and Vogue cover models together, except they look homicidal and really, really terrifying." Hartley said and Cisco was silently nodding beside him. 

"If you're really worried about us getting out there in dangerous environment, you wouldn't mind us borrowing your guns, right?" Len said, and Cisco gaped as Len dangled a Cold gun in his hand.

"Hey, when did you---?" 

Len rolled his eyes. 

"Told ya, know this lab by heart by now. Scarlet's boyfriend wouldn't mind me borrowing it, would he?" 

"Actually, I think actually he wou---" Cisco said, but Len decidedly ignored him. 

"Oh, and I've got mine too." Lisa said, stroking a Gold gun in her hand, "This one is your work, too, right? This little beauty." 

Cisco squeaked at the sight of Lisa holding the Golden gun. 

"Really? You got that one?" 

"There were two guns left where Lenny found these but I liked this one better. Gold is my favorite color anyway." 

Lisa said, making kissy faces at the scientist and Cisco flushed furiously and fumbled. 

"So right, Scarlet, you said we were going..?" Len said, turning around to Barry and Barry looked at both Snarts, and then his friends, and then at Len again. Then Barry seemed to have calculated in his head how much chance he had sneaking out without them, but eventually seemed to have decided it will only bring worse consequences.

"Okay, but you have to follow my words and stay out of trouble, okay?" Barry said, looking at both siblings and Len and Lisa grinned together. 

"Of course, Scarlet." Len said solemnly, "Staying out of trouble, easy." 

"Cross our hearts." Lisa said, equally solemnly. 

Then Barry sighed, and grabbed both their shoulders and disappeared with a lightning flash. 

"Okay. There are literally hundred ways that this would turn out horribly." Cisco said as the papers that were flying wildly everywhere fluttered down, and everybody looked at the doorway where the three had left.


	38. 12 Elves And A Bowl Full of Jelly

There are things that bad guys did and things that good guys did.

"Please, not my pants, not my pants!" A robber dressed as a Christmas Elf screamed.

And somehow right now, Barry felt like he was the bad guy. At least, a guy who was standing on the side with very bad people.

"Please, we'll do anything you tell us to do, just stop what you're doing!" Another Elf screamed.

"Uhm, guys?" Barry said weakly,

"Please, we will never try to rob anyone ever again!" A man cried and Lisa leaned in,

"Aww, you should have thought that before you started robbing the place!" Lisa said sweetly, and Barry felt bad for the bunch of Christmas Elves.

"What happened to these guys between those eight years?" Barry heard Cisco whispering in the comm and gaped.

The muggers-total of 12 Christmas Elves- were everywhere, 7 of them were tied down and crawling on the ground by the Snart siblings, begging for mercy while the rest of them were screaming around the Plaza to avoid both rays of Cold and Gold.

"I don't know if I have to be helping Snarts or saving the Elves." Barry said feeling helpless, as another scream echoed as Len triumphantly dragged yet another victim of the Cold gun to the ground.

"C,C,Cold- So cold." The Elf shuddered from the light setting of the Cold gun frosted around his body and made him shiver. Barry quickly tied the man with the rope and made him share another Elf's parka. The Elf hugged his friend while the hugged Elf tried to get away making a face.

"Ew, get away from me!"

"But it's so cold!"

"Guys, please tone it down a little, will you?" Barry shouted to the siblings who looked too happy to be hunting down the elves and Lisa looked back at him with pouty face.

"But we're being extra gentle and nice!" She shouted, to which an Elf with a bruised face snorted. Lisa looked sharply back at him.

"Did you say something now?" She said, and the Elf immediately cowered.

"No, miss, nu-huh, not a word." The elf whispered, and Lisa smiled happily.

"See, Barr? No harm done. Even the Elves are having fun."

"You're terrifying!!" One of the elves screamed and Barry looked at Len. Len shrugged.

"Meh. If you think we're terrifying now, you should have seen us at the bank we've just been." Len said,

"We helped the Flash catch a pair of elastic metas who were robbing this bank, didn't we Lis?" Len said, and Lisa grinned back at her brother.

"Oh, yes," Lisa cooed, "It was amazing how they really did stretch like rubber bands, and we got to play with them too." She said, smiling as the elves watched the siblings in horror. "We strummed them beautifully."

"How can you be even humans?" One of the elves whispered.

Another echo of scream as an Elf who tried to sneak out of the store slipped on the blast of ice and crashed right into the huge Christmas tree centered in the hall. Barry flashed and pulled out the Elf before the tree wobbled and then lost balance.

As Barry flashed the terrified Elf to a safe place, the tree came down crashing on the ground, pulled a bunch of wire bundles attached to the hundreds of light bulbs, and sparks started flying up.

"Oops." Len said, as the sparks turned into quick fire, and the 50 feet Christmas tree began to go up in a flame.

Barry turned around, his hands on his hips, and Len shrugged and said, "If it helps Scarlet, I knew you'd save that little Elf."

Barry didn't know what to do with these new Snarts.

"I can't believe this!" Barry shouted, looking at the siblings,

"You used to be so cute! And innocent!"

"Debatable," Barry heard Hartley's voice in the comm,

"You were so kind and harmless!" Barry said,

"Arguable," Cisco's voice said in his comm.

Len shrugged.

"I'm a criminal now, in case you haven't noticed." Len said and Barry blinked back at him.

"You said you wanted to know what happened at the mall?" Len said, turning around to face Barry. "Well, I saw you dying in front of me, and I was sent back to my original timeline." Len said and Barry stopped in his track.

"Rip told me that he'll come get for me in 8 years and then I'll get to help you. I tried to punch him but he was gone in a golden light."

Barry felt his comm gone suddenly very quiet.

"So I had to grow up, fight my dad, watch him beat Lisa even more, and then when I was 17 I left the house to start on my own. I wanted to make money for Lisa's college and I did what I was taught my whole life. I robbed banks, pulled multiple heights that you can't even count of, and I was very good at it."

The elves were listening in too, though they probably had no idea what the hell was going on.

"And all these time, I knew you were dying in another timeline. And I remembered how cold you felt in my arms and it killed me that there was nothing I could do to help you."

Barry saw Len clench his fist.

"So I counted. 7 years, 190 days, 18 hours. That's how long it took for me, to finally see that son of a bitch Rip's face again and he took me back to your side. The building was crashing down, and you were kneeling on the floor, surrounded by the pool of your own blood. And I got you." Len said.

"That Eiling guy got away, I couldn't stop it, I had little time to bring you back to the lab. The police caught the soldiers. They also caught Elena and the meta that hurt you, and they were sent to somewhere called Iron Heights. I saw Quaker, by the way," Len said smiling weakly, and Barry's breath hitched.

"She sneaked past the police line and Lisa may or may not have helped her do that."

Lisa smiled sheepishly next to him. Barry looked at the both Snarts.

"So, there. That's my story. And I won't try to hide what kind of person I've become in these years. This is who I am now, and if that's disappointing to you Scarlet, then I don't know what to say."

Len tried to sound nonchalant, but Barry could still see through his face. He saw how Len's eyes quickly met with Barry's and flinched away, like he was terrified of seeing actual disappointment or hate in Barry's eyes and it broke his heart. They were all grown ups now, but still it reminded of him how young they were, how vulnerable and afraid of being hurt they were as little kids.

Barry flashed to them, and looked at both Len's and Lisa's eyes as the siblings looked surprised for a moment to see Barry right in front of them in the blink of an eye.

"That's not what I was talking about, and I'm sorry it sounded bad." Barry said,

"I know how your lives have been between these past years, your father still tried to hurt you and you did your best to protect each other. I know Len you did what you did because you didn't want your dad to drag your sister into the line of work, and I know Lisa you were so brave to fight your dad."

Barry felt his heart tighten and smiled, just like he did when he first met the little siblings for the very first time.

Barry wondered if they remembered it too, it was so long ago in their timeline. They would never know how much it meant for Barry to have them around, how much love and protectiveness he felt when he first saw these kids.

Then Len grinned.

"You're a weird one, Scarlet." Len said, and Barry grinned too, feeling all of a sudden urge to cry. But he pushed through it, and grinned even harder.

He knew they loved his dorky smile, however grown up themselves teased about it.

"You have no idea, kids." Barry said, and Lisa smiled at him too.

"Uh, hello? Flash and the crazy duo?" One of the Elves said, "If you're done with all that, can we go now?"

"Oh, right." Barry said, and flashed to grab the last three Elves who were desperately clawing at the frozen exits and tied them up with the rest of the gang.

"Now we're done." Barry said smiling and Len huffed. "Show-off."

But it made Barry grin even brighter.

"So, we only have to track down that crazy teenagers 2 tons of fireworks now." Lisa said, and suddenly an Elf with beer bottle poking out from his back pocket hiccuped.

Everyone turned around to him and the elf seemed to be scared by the sudden attention.

"Umm... I know who took that fireworks?" The elf said.

Suddenly Len and Lisa were towering over him. The Elf looked terrified.

"Oh, you do now?" Len said, and Lisa grinned right next to him. The Elf looked at Barry like he was he was signalling for help.

"I, I know the guy who knows the guy who planned to steal that firework. You can ask him." The Elf almost whispered at the two beautiful faces grinning terrifyingly down at him.

"Who is it?" Lisa asked, and the elf gulped.

"It's the Santa."

"Say what now?" Barry said, and suddenly a tree ornament fell and broke right in front of Lisa's feet.

Everybody looked up, and saw one Santa Claus trying to hide behind a second floor pillar and failing miserably due to his belly bowl full of jelly.

The Santa peeked from the pillar to see if everyone's eyes were still on him and yelped and hid his face again.

Barry saw Len and Lisa's face splitting with evil grin.

"Oh, Santa?" Lisa said in a sing-sang voice, and the Santa whimpered.

The tree was still burning and the elves were crying and Barry really wished he wouldn't go to hell for this.


	39. Definitely Barry's type

"So.. Care to explain what happened?" 

Caitlin said as the friends gathered around the Cortex to watch the huge TV screen showing what happened at the Northend Department store. The reporter was standing in front of the building, and through the glass wall they could see a gigantic burning torch that was once a 50 feet Christmas tree. Then the camera turned and showed a bunch of tied Christmas elves being escorted by the police. 

"... So that's happened." Hartley said, and everybody looked back at Barry. Barry gulped and tried to smile innocently but was stopped short when Joe gave him a stern look. 

"God I envy him. If only I had his power to resist those damn puppy eyes..." Caitlin said looking at Joe and Iris raised her eyebrow. 

'--- the Mayor announced that tomorrow's Christmas Celebration in the City Hall plaza will not be changed, while the police are still searching for the missing 2 tons of fireworks that were stolen yesterday.' 

They turned around as the reporter in the TV continued, 'The Mayor said he invited the Flash to the event as always, but seems to be unable to get in touch with the hero's boyfriend and the former villain, Captain Cold.' 

"What?" Len said, as he watched incredulously at the screen where the video showed the footage of what apparently seemed like last year's event. Small figures that looked like the Flash and the Cold were standing among the joyful crowd in the plaza celebrating Christmas. 

"What the.." Lisa said, crossing her arms and straining her eyes to see Cold's face better. Barry felt panicked for a second but the figure was so small the face looked barely bigger than a spot. 

"You celebrated the Christmas with Cold there?" Lisa asked, and Barry grinned sheepishly. 

"The Mayor invites the Flash every year to the event via his twitter." Iris said, shaking her head, "He is like, obsessed with Barry, I mean with the Flash. And people in this city are kind of in love with the love story between their hero and a former villain."

"So it's become kind of an annual event to see them attend the annual holiday together." Cisco said, nodding. 

"Wow." Lisa said, then shook her head and said, "WOW."

"Tell me about it." Hartley said, "They have a freaking coffee named after him, the whole city is crazy." 

Lisa looked back at Barry with amused grin. Barry smiled back sheepishly and shrugged. "... I'm lovable?" 

Iris rolled her eyes next to him and punched him in the arm. 

Len was still glaring at the TV monitor like it offended him. 

"So that's what he looks like." Len said, "Stupid blue parka with stupid white fluffy hair and sunglasses. Who wears like that?"

And everybody looked back at him. Len was still in his parka with stupid white fluffy hair. 

"Should we tell him...?" Cisco whispered, and Iris shushed him down. 

"Let's see if he gets it." She said, and everybody looked at Len while he watched the TV screen like a hawk. 

"Seriously, no serious man should really dress up like that and wield big guns, it's just giant crying for attention of Scarlet." Len said, his eyes still glued to the screen. "I bet he wore Scarlet down until he agreed to go out with him." 

"I am so recording this." Cisco squeaked, his face red not to burst out laughing. 

"Actually, Cold did exactly that." Joe said, and Barry gaped at him. "Joe!" 

"It took 12 frozen banks, 3 burnt down museums, and 1 city hall on the verge of breaking down, for Barry to agree to go out with him." Joe said, ignoring his son's protest. "It did not help him getting my approval for dating my son." 

"That's so unfair, he didn't do all that. You're clearly over exaggerating." Barry said, and then when all his friends nodded, he whispered, "... No, was it really that many?"

"Price to pay for dating the most adorkable and most oblivious speedster in the world." Iris said, and Lisa grinned. 

"Aww, now I feel bad for that poor desperate guy." Lisa said, and Iris patted her on the shoulder, hiding her grin. "You have no idea." 

"This is getting out of hand." Barry said, shaking head in disbelief. "Guys, we have 2 tons of fireworks and we have to find out where it went before it's too late!" Barry said, and it seemed to calm down the crowd. 

"I still can't believe you'd go out with someone that crazy and evil." Len muttered under his breath and Barry rolled his eyes. 

"So, what's our plan?" Hartley said, "We don't know anything about who stole all those fireworks." and Barry nodded. 

"Actually, one of the elves told us he knew the guy who knew the guy who did that." Barry said. 

"Okay, so who did the elf sell out?" Iris said, and snorted as a thought crossed her mind. "Santa? A Rudolph?" 

Everybody giggled at that but Barry suddenly went very quiet. 

"Bear?" Joe asked, and just as he opened his mouth, a loud echo of scream echoed through the hallway. 

"Heeeeelllp!!!" 

The silence that followed was deafening. 

"Was it...?" Cisco finally said, not daring to finish the sentence. 

"No," Caitlin whispered. They looked at Barry but the speedster seemed suddenly very interested in his own shoes. 

"That sounded like---" Hartley said, but even he didn't dare finish the sentence. Then, 

"Somebody help, I'm kidnapped!!" The man's scream echoed again. 

"So, a very minor detail, we may have took someone in for further questioning." Len said, sounding casual and ignoring all the shocked faces as realization dawned on them. 

"Oh my god, you've kidnapped SANTA?" Cisco said horrified, and Len smirked proudly. "It was the only way to save the Christmas." 

'Crazy and evil.' Barry thought to himself, sighing. 'Definitely my type, all right.'


	40. You shouldn't judge the day too quickly

The bell rang and Caitlin turned around from the tree. 

"The pizza guy is here!" She said, "Who's paying?" 

"Hartley is!" Iris shouted from the sofa and Hartley scowled but picked up the wallet and ran to the hall. 

"Wow. You guys are doing a great job decorating this place." The pizza guy said, looking around the Cortex. 

Caitlin and Lisa were decorating the tree, there were glittering ornaments and string lights everywhere, and the Carol was playing in the air. On the floor Barry and Cisco were wrapping gifts while Iris and Lisa wrote Christmas cards on the sofa and Iris waved her hand at the delivery guy. 

"Hi Mike." 

"Hi Iris." Mike said as Hartley gave him cash. 

"Wow. Just how much do you spend on Pizza?" Lisa asked, craning her head as Mike gave change and Cisco shrugged. "We have one insatiable speedster amongst us, best not order less if you don't want to get your hand bitten." 

"Hey, I did no such thing." Barry said, but Cisco and Caitlin both turned on him. 

"I have marks on the back of my hand, Barry. You're a savage when you're hungry." Cisco said, and Caitlin nodded her head from behind the tree. 

"I have to agree with Cisco on this one, Barry." Caitlin said, "The first three days when we tested your metabolism and had to make you starve for 3 hours was the scariest experiment I've ever done to this day." 

Barry scowled but then a scream echoed from downstairs and Mike paused. 

"Did I just hear..?" 

"Nope." Hartley said, taking away 20 piles of pizza boxes from the man. 

"Nothing suspicious going on down there!" Caitlin said, quickly turning up the volume of the Carol on the speaker. 

"But I heard--" 

"Thank you Mike! Goodbye!" Iris said suddenly popping out from next to Hartley and pushing the man away. The confused delivery man went away, and Iris and Hartley turned around sighing. 

"Man. That was close." Iris said, and Cisco shook his head. 

"So are we going to keep ignoring the fact that there IS something suspicious going on downstairs?" Hartley said, and Cisco shook his head. 

"One minute they were these cute little kids who extorted your wallet and your entire lab with hustling poker game," Cisco said, Hartley gaped at him. "Say what now?" 

"And they turn out to be the Santa-interrogating, childhood destroying criminals." Cisco ended, effectively ignoring Hartley's shocked face. 

"They mean well," Barry said, though even to his own ears his words sound weak. "They're trying to help. We're the good guys, we're trying to save the Christmas!" 

"Oh, I don't think we're the good guys here," Cisco said, "We literally have locked Santa in our basement."

Then Cisco paused and said, "Wow. That was a sentence I've never thought I'd use in my life." 

Barry buried his face in his palm just as Len entered the room. Everybody turned their head to see the 22 year old walk into the Cortex. 

Barry could swear he could hear everyone's eyes quickly scan Len's hands for the spattered trace of blood or handful of Santa's beard. 

"... Len, what did you do with the Santa?" Barry asked carefully, and Len shrugged. "Meh. Is the pizza here?" 

"Answer the speedster, Len." Iris said, and Len huffed out breath. 

"If you mean if I killed him and disposed the body without a trace," Len said, and everybody held their breath at the short pause. Len rolled his eyes. 

"The Santa is drunken as hell and he's zonked out on the floor." 

"Great!" Barry said, as his friends sighed silently in relief. "So what did you get out of him?" 

Len grabbed the pizza boxes and came to the sofa. Barry eagerly jumped on the sofa to take the pizza box that Len gave him as Len sat down next to him. 

"He said that the gang leader of the crazy teens is supposed to meet him tonight at 30 minute something at the City Hall plaza, whatever that means." Len said, as he passed another box of pizza to Barry as the speedster put down the finished box under the sofa.

"Oh, you mean the 30 minute Christmas miracle!" Caitlin said, and Len and Lisa turned around. 

"The what?" Both Snarts raised their eyebrows in question. 

"Every year, the city installs this huge ice rink in front of the city hall," Caitlin said, 

"Along with this big, beautiful tree," Iris added dreamily, 

"Yes, and everybody can skate on it for free," Caitlin continued, "But from the thirty minutes to midnight to Christmas, only couples can enter the rink and skate." 

Both Len and Lisa rolled their eyes and the girls burst out giggling. 

"I know, I know, it's cheesy and corny but it's still so romantic!" Iris said, and Caitlin was smiling next to her too. 

"I remember my first 30 minute Christmas with Eddie." Iris said, "There comes the music, and you're holding hands on the ice rink, and everything becomes just---- perfect." 

"Is this where everyone begins to having a moment?" Len said, looking around the girls. 

"Yes, everything is beautiful and the bulbs are shining like stars," Cisco said, and Hartley rolled his eyes at him. "Ugh. You too, Cisco?" 

"Who did you go to the 30 minute with?" Lisa suddenly asked, crossing her arms and Cisco looked just as equally suddenly very scared. 

"Uhm. I went there with my girlfriend?" Cisco squeaked and Lisa raised her eyebrow. "Oh. Did she have a name?" 

"She had a name, yes." Cisco said, desperately silently crying for help with his eyes. The Starlabs family knew who it was, it was Lisa in the future, but they couldn't tell her that. 

"She had a.. pretty name?" Cisco said, while both Hartley and Barry muttered, 'Oops. Wrong answer' together. 

"Pretty?" Lisa said, stepping forward just as Cisco seemed to have cowered and shrunk into the sofa, "HOW pretty?" 

"Somebody please help me?" Cisco whispered and Barry took pity on him and stepped forward. 

"So, the point is that the Santa's dealer will be there at City Hall ice rink tonight and we can catch him there. Right?" Barry said, and looked at the clock on the wall. 

"It's 5 o'clock, and there's plenty of time left, so we can all eat pizza and enjoy the holiday eve until we get to go catch the bad guy. What could possibly go wrong?" Barry said, and everybody groaned in unison. 

"What?" Barry said, looking bewildered around his friends. 

"Honestly Barry, with our luck these days, I'm willing to bet something horrible is going to happen today and totally put our lives in jeopardy if we aren't very, very lucky." Cisco said, and Barry scrunched his face. 

"No, why would you say that?" Barry protested, trying to cheer up the group. "Guys, everything is going to be fine. Today is Christmas Eve!" Barry said. 

And.... 

 

 

(4 hours later) 

"... I totally take back what I said about everything is going to be okay and I'm really scared!!" Barry screamed.


	41. There's only one person who can fix this

(7 hours later) 

"What in the god's name happened here?" Joe asked, there was distant sound of siren coming near, and Cisco, Caitlin and Iris were sitting close together, bundled up in safety blankets that were handed out by the police. 

Confetti was flying everywhere, some of the furniture rolling on the street were on fire, but none of the crowd seemed to mind as they cheered on happily. 

"Hot cocoa?" Caitlin offered as the detective looked incredulous. 

"What. Happened. Here?" Joe asked again, and watched as a pair of sobbing mobsters being escorted to the police car. 

"There's a story." Iris said. 

"Start talking." Joe said, and Cisco shrugged. 

"Well, it started 7 hours ago." 

 

 

 

(7 hours earlier) 

"---- Everything is going to be fine. Today is Christmas Eve!" Barry said. Just as he said that, Joe hung up the phone he was taking. 

"Barr, can I have a word with you?" Joe said, and Barry got off from the sofa and went to Joe's side. 

"So, what is your plan, Len?" Lisa said, immediately taking Barry's seat. Len raised his eyebrow, not taking his eyes off from Barry's back. Lisa followed her brothers's gaze and grinned. 

"You can't even keep your eyes off from him, don't play dumb with me." Lisa said, and Iris suddenly poked her face from behind the sofa. 

"Oooh, are we talking about Len's unrequited love for Barr?" 

"What?" Len very gracefully resisted jumping from sudden interruption but glared at the woman. Iris just grinned hugely like Len's sister and Len didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. She had too similar evil smirk like his sister's.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Go away, I want to eat this pizza in peace." Len said. 

"Can't blame you really, he is cute. You don't get to see that kind of beautiful doe-eyed adorkable nerds easily." 

Iris said teasingly and Len huffed. 

"Still don't know what you're talking about." Len said, ignoring them all together. 

"Talking about what?" Hartley and Cisco said, suddenly next to Iris and geez, where did these people kept popping up out of nowhere? 

"Are we talking about Len's hopeless and pitiful crush on the Flash?" Hartley said, and Len glared daggers at the scientist. 

"Not. Happening." Len said. 

"Oh really?" Iris said, and then suddenly she grabbed Hartley's cell('Hey!' Hartley said,) and threw it at the foot of the desk where Barry was standing by. 

"Oh, Barry? Could you toss me back my phone there?" Iris said, and Barry bent down to pick up the phone. Len instinctively craned his neck to get a better look at Barry's behind when Iris pointed at him and yelled "Aha!"

"Iris?" Barry turned around surprised and the others who were also craning their necks all quickly averted their eyes while Iris smiled. 

"Nothing, Barr. Just experimenting something. Thanks so much." 

Barry looked still puzzled and suspicious when he turned back to Joe. Len glared at Iris but the woman didn't even flinch. 

"Case. Proven." Iris said proudly, and Len sighed. 

"... What's your point?" 

"My point is that you are falling head over heels for my brother and it's really sweet and painful to watch." Iris said, and Hartley snorted next to her. 

"And also, fun." Hartley said, and was rewarded with painful poke in the ribs from both girls. "Aww!" Hartley shrunk in his seat away from those evil hands. 

"So, Lenny, what are we going to do about it?" Lisa said, her eyes glittering and Len huffed out breath. 

"It doesn't matter. He has a boyfriend and he clearly loves him." Len said. 

"Yeah, right. That." Cisco said, and quickly exchanged looks with his friends. God something made things so easy to tease and at the same time made things so much harder. 

"So you're just going to give him up? Really?" Lisa said, and Len drew his eyes away from the speedster and bit his lip. 

"I don't like Scarlet's boyfriend, yes, Cold has a terrible fashion sense and seemed like an awful human being, he made my childhood miserable, I dreamed of many dreams where I push him from the cliff or from a chopper," Len said, 

"Huh?" Hartley asked, 

"Though my favorite dream is where I get to freeze him into being a giant snowman and I toss his garbage parka to charity and laugh at his frozen face." Len continued, 

"Say what now?" Caitlin said, and Len shook his head. 

"--- But he's out there trying to save me and my sister in another timeline and that's the reason he's not here with Scarlet right now. And Scarlet clearly misses him and loves him, I know that much." 

Everybody held their breath to see the look on Len's face. It was fleetingly brief, but the look of true hurt was there, and when Len stood up to leave the room, everybody was still gaping. 

"Oh my god. Did you see that?" Iris said, punching Hartley in the arm and he glared at her. "I was right here! Of course I saw it!" 

"Is he really going to back off? Really?" Caitlin said, and Cisco gaped. 

"What is going to happen if Len gives up Barry because of this? Does this mean that he and Barry are never going to be together? What's going to happen?" Cisco said, and everybody stared each other in horror. 

"So...." 

Lisa suddenly said, and everybody jumped and looked back at her. They had totally forgot that Lisa was there. Lisa was grinning like a cat who just spread a cream on top of a canary that was on top of another canary. 

"Oh God." Caitlin said, and Lisa's mouth slowly began to spread widely with huge grin. 

"Cold is Lenny?" Lisa squealed, "Barry is going to date my brother? The Flash is dating my brother in the future? Oh my god!!!" 

"Shhhh!!!!!" Everybody jumped on top of Lisa as Barry and Joe on other side of the room turned around at Lisa's squeak. 

"Are you guys really okay?" Barry asked, and Iris quickly threw a jacket on top of struggling Lisa. 

"Yeah, yeah, everything's super fine, Barry. Back to work!" Iris smiled too brightly that Barry scrunched his face in confusion. 

"O.. kay?" Barry said, and even Joe was making faces at them. Cisco and Caitlin smiled awkwardly and pushed the tightly wrapped Snart out of the Cortex. 

"What do we do, what do we do?" Hartley said as Lisa huffed out a breath and flicked her hair. 

"I'm so excited right now I'm going to forgive that savage move of yours," Lisa said, and everybody jumped back to look at her. 

"How..? When did you get out?" Cisco asked, 

"Please. I've been kidnapped 7 times and you guys are terrible at holding prisoner." Lisa said, and even her hair looked perfect again. 

"So, Lenny and Barry, really? Oh my god, this finally pays for me to have him bitch about Cold for 12 years, god I'm so happy right now!" Lisa said, her face splitting with huge grin and everybody felt so worried and happy at the same time all their faces looked ridiculous. 

"Right. Len is Cold, but you can't tell this to Len, Lisa. It's what Rip told us to do in the first time he brought you guys, we can't let you learn about your own future." Cisco said, and Lisa bit her lip so as to calm herself down. 

She was failing miserably, her grin still fighting to break out, but she took deep breath and smiled. 

"Okay. I have so many plans to make fun of him once he finds out, but I'll keep my mouth shut to my dear brother." Lisa said, as Hartley finally found an empty room for all of them to crash in and lock the door. 

"So, not having to worry about helping my brother ice Barry's wedding is great, but Lenny is being a pathetic mess and probably crying and moping in the corner somewhere right now. So what are we going to do?" Lisa said, and everybody fell silent. 

"The timeline can be changed, it's changed already bit by bit but this is huge." Caitlin said, "If Len gives up now, then maybe Cold and Flash might never happen, and who knows what will happen next?" She said, and Iris nodded. 

"We have to get them together." Iris said solemnly and everybody nodded. 

"But how? Len can be a stubborn son of a bitch and he'd rather mop and pine away for his speedster than to betray what he said." Lisa said, and they all fell deep in thought again. 

"What if he gets permission?" Cisco suddenly said, and everybody looked at him. 

"There is one person that can persuade Len to go after Barry, and he's right in this Lab." Cisco said, and everybody stared at him. Then it dawned on them too. 

"Oh...!" They all said in unison. 

 

 

 

"... So, this is happening." Len said, as he was dragged in to the secret room again and was faced with a white face of Hologram. 

"Young Mr.Snart. It will be a polite thing to say it's good to see you again." Gideon said, and Len smirked. 

"Hal." Len nodded to the AI. 

"The reference to me as the artificial intelligence in one of the greatest SF movies in the 20th century is not insulting, young Mr.Snart." She said and Len grinned. "Oh, we'll see." 

"This is already looking bad." Cisco whispered but Caitlin shushed him. 

"Why am I here again?" Len said, looking back at the group of people who looked suspiciously giddy and on edge. 

"By the way, you guys look really weird right now." 

"I heard you were looking for me." An altered voice said and Len whipped around. 

A blue parka and a Cold gun. His face was deep hidden under the furry hood and in shadow. Len opened his mouth in surprise. 

"...Cold?" Len finally whispered. 

The man on the screen grinned in the dark.


	42. Len vs. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Hope you have a wonderful day <333

"Cold." Len said to the man on the screen. 

"Snart." Len said to the man standing in the room. 

"Weird." Cisco said, but everybody was too focused on the scene to shush him. 

"We finally meet," 22 year-old Len said, and 42 year-old Len grinned in return. 

"Yes indeed." 

"Why are they smiling at each other silently the scariest thing I've ever seen in my entire life?" Cisco said and Caitlin nodded. 

"I can't watch this. This is too scary." Hartley said. 

"I wish I had popcorn right now." Iris whispered.

"... So do you know why these guys brought me to this room to talk to you?" Len asked, and Cold nodded. 

"I heard you have a crush on my boyfriend." Cold said, and younger Len tensed in his spot. 

"You're his boyfriend," Len slowly said, "So I'm not going to insult you by denying it. ...I like Scarlet." 

Cold seemed to study him for a moment. 

Everybody held their breath. They knew what Len did to those few villains who didn't know that the Flash was with Captain Cold and put a move on the unknowing hero. They usually ended up on the ambulance to the hospital before they were sent to Iron Heights and some of them disappeared without any trace. Cisco suspected they fled out of town or.... 

"I would've punched you and iced your ass for that. But regretfully, I'm over here, in another timeline." Cold slowly said, as Cisco and the others slowly exhaled breath. Then the screen blacked out. 

"But on the other hand, I'm quite crafty when I need to be." Cold said right behind from Len and Len whipped around surprised. Cold flicked up the switch and the light came back up. 

"How did you...? How are you...?" Cisco pointed his finger at him and Cold rolled his eyes. 

"Don't worry. Still a hologram." Cold said, waving his hand to show a split second of his translucent form. 

"Gideon turned on the light on my cue." Cold said as he nodded to the AI and Len glared at the floating face. The AI grinned. 

"But," Cold continued, walking past the stunned scientists and staring directly at Len, "I just wanted you show you how creative I can be to kick your ass if you crossed me."

".. Duly noted." Len said and Cold grinned. 

"I like your candour, so I'll give you a chance at my boyfriend." Cold said, and Len's jaw dropped. 

"What?" Len said and though Ciscos and others planned this and talked this ahead, it felt really strange for them too. 

"Why, you don't want it?" Cold said, grinning, and Len blinked and looked lost for words. 

"Of course I want it, but why would you-" 

"Let's just say I have my reasons," Cold said, cutting Len off. "And it's only fair if you get a chance to be with Scarlet. To make it an even game for you and I. See what happens." Cold said, and Len seemed to gather every last ounce of self control not to burst out. He took deep breath, and closed his eyes. 

"... You would do that?" Len finally said when he opened his eyes and Cold nodded, and they both fell silent. 

"... Are they speaking with eyes now?" Caitlin whispered. 

"I don't know how Snarts work," Hartley said. "Ask Lisa." 

"Shh!" Lisa said. 

"So how much time are you giving me?" Len asked, finally breaking the silent battle of staring contest. 

"You get a year." Cold said, and everybody gaped. 

"What?" Len said, 

"What?" Everybody else yelled at the same time. 

Not bothered by everyone's reaction, Cold smiled. 

"... But, that was until I found out you insulted my fashion sense." 

Len halted. "Huh?" 

Cold's smile grew wider and more devilish and everybody felt the same chill at that sudden expression. 

"That made your one year to a six-month." 

"What, wait-" Len said, but Cold was just getting started. 

"And I remember you saying, quote 'Cold seemed like an awful human being.' quote," 

"Hey, I-" 

"Hurtful. Truly hurtful." Cold said, "So that makes your six-month to a three-month," Cold continued mercilessly. 

"I didn't-"

"And you had many dreams where you push me from the cliff," Cold said, tilting his head and tutting, "Ouch, that was hurtful." Cold said, his voice amused, 

"Hey, it was just a figure of speech-" Len said, desperately, 

"- So that's another cut from your deadline, your three months cut to one month," Cold said, walking past the flustering young Len, 

"How do even you know all that?" Len shouted helplessly, 

"I know everything you've said and done," Cold said, grinning like a true devil himself, "I'm all-mighty that way."

Len growled in frustration. 

"And you also wanted to push me from a chopper," Cold said, "That has to count as extra." 

"Seriously? You'd count that as-"

"One month to a one week." Cold said, completely ignoring Len's protest. 

"And your favorite dream being where you get to freeze me into being a giant snowman and toss my garbage parka," Cold said, looking thoroughly too amused for Len's taste, "- to a charity, and laugh at my frozen face." 

"... ...." 

Len now seemed speechless, embracing for the final impact. 

"It's like watching a slaughter house." Cisco whispered. 

"--- And that makes your one week to a day." 

Iris swore she saw Len sway but Len held his ground. 

".. So I get a day." Len finally said, and Cold nodded. 

"You still up for it?" 

"I am." Len said, staring straight into Cold's translucent figure defiantly. 

"But not because you told me to, but because Scarlet deserves better. If I were with Scarlet, if I ever got that lucky, I wouldn't share him with anyone, let alone give anyone else a chance. Scarlet deserves so much more, and that's why I'm doing this." Len said, and then he stormed out of the room. 

Everybody went speechless at Len's words and they turned to see Cold, the current Len that they knew, throw back his hood and grinning. 

"You're smiling." Hartley said, and his voice sounded horrified. 

"Was it good enough?" Cold, Len, asked and everybody groaned. 

"You reminded me never to cross you, especially about Barry." Cisco said, and Len grinned satisfied. 

"But did you really have to push him that hard? You know he'd- you'd- jump at a chance to date Barry, you just had to give him your word and that was it." Iris said, crossing her arms and Len shrugged. 

"My timeline is changing as we speak." 

"What?" Iris blinked at the sudden words, and everyone else stopped to look at Len too. 

"My memory of the past is changing, it has been changing since Rip first dropped young version of myself- me- to Scarlet when I was 10 years old." Len said. 

"And I already remember me yelling that exact line at the Cold three minutes ago. I remember doing that. I remember how angry I was at Cold and how I stormed out of here." 

Everybody fell silent as realization slowly dawned on them. 

"... Your past has changed?" Caitlin asked, and Len nodded. 

"My past with Scarlet- My first meeting with him on the truck heist, the meeting at the museum, when we talked in the forest and our first date when he finally realized I was hitting on him for the past year," Len smiled to himself, 

"- It's already fading. I remember them, it's perks of being a time traveler, even when the timeline is altered I can still remember them, but it's now being altered and ready for the new memory." Len said. "He's going to make new memories with Scarlet again, I know I will, but it's changed. It's still changing."

"... ...." 

Nobody knew what to say. They all looked at Len and Len smiled, no more smirking. 

"So I wanted to make sure that I'll go after Scarlet with everything I've got. With everything he's got. Also, it'd be lying if I didn't want to make him suffer a little just for the hell of it." Len added, grinning and Hartley and Cisco made this suspiciously whimpering sound. 

"Lenny," Lisa said, and Len turned around to her, his eyes getting soft. 

"God you're so little. I remember this too." Len said, and Lisa rolled her eyes. 

"I'm 20, you jerk." But she smiled too. 

"Is there anything we could do to help?" She asked, and Len nodded. 

"I'm out there, trying to steal another man's boyfriend, so help me steal Scarlet from his boyfriend." Len said, and Lisa shook her head and grinned. 

"Jerk." Lisa said. 

"Trainwreck." Len said, and they grinned at each other. 

And when Len's hologram finally went away, they were left with Gideon in the room. 

".. I think what happened there just broke my heart, but who needs a heart anyway?" Cisco said, and everybody rolled their eyes but looked equally shaken. 

"Okay, you heard my brother. I'm going to help Lenny, my stupid, love-stricken brother who just broke my heart, with everything I've got. Who's with me?" 

Lisa said, and Iris and Caitlin nodded solemnly, as well as the boys in the room. 

"All right, let's help Len steal Barry away from his boyfriend!" Cisco said, and it was on.


	43. They go to Kathy's tailor shop but....

Kathy was staring at the sudden influx of customers. The place she was working was a custom tailor suit shop, whose usual customers were a decade older and usually arrived with a driver in a limousine. 

"Hi, I'm Kathy, how can I help you?" She said, as all the other senior tailors were busy with customers at the moment. 

"We made a reservation, Iris West." A beautiful woman in her 20 said to Kathy with a smile and Kathy reflexively smiled back. Next to her a man with long black hair furrowed his eyebrows and said, "When did you even make that reservation? We literally drove non-stop from the lab five minutes ago". 

Miss West just grinned at him and walked forward. Next to her a line of people followed through, which included another stunning blonde woman and a really cute guy. Kathy immediately felt very pleased with their visit. 

"So, whose suit do you need our help with, Ms.West?" Kathy asked, as they were all ushered in into a moderate-sized yet luxurious fitting room, with benches on the side and standing mirrors surrounding the main area in the middle. 

"This one," the tall beautiful blonde girl said, pushing the cute guy to Kathy(seriously, the guy looked like he just walked out of page of GQ, minus the parka and the glares he was shooting at the blonde). 

"Again, think you're all crazy, and this is ridiculous." The hot guy said. "Lisa, really?" 

The blonde girl whose name was apparently Lisa, raised her perfect eyebrow. 

"What's with this attitude, Lenny? I thought you were going after Barr with everything you've got." 

"I was, until you women chased after me into the Cortex, grabbed me and shoved me into the van. By the way, why do you even have a van looking like that, it's got more holes and burnt marks than our old heist van!" 

Iris and black haired man exchanged looks and then shrugged. 

"... We have our reasons." The black haired man said suspiciously avoiding Lenny's(nickname?) eyes. 

"You see, my brother here," Lisa said grasping Lenny's shoulder(Kathy was extremely pleased to know that she was related to Lenny therefore leaving Kathy a chance at the hot guy), 

"He's trying to date this amazingly cute boy and he needs your utmost help." Lisa said, and Kathy felt a pang of disappointment, 

"Yes, and the guy's my brother, actually." Iris said, pulling out her phone and clicking on it and showing it to Kathy. 

On it Kathy saw one of the most adorable, sweet and cute guy she's ever seen, who was smiling sheepishly at the screen and Kathy immediately felt immensely better. Damn he was really cute. Anyways, if the hot guy wasn't available for her, at least it was nice to know that he was going after the cutest guy.

"So, yeah. He needs a lots of help." Iris said, her voice proud and understanding as continuous 'Ooooh' and 'Awwww' escaped Kathy's mouth as she flipped her brother's pictures on Iris's phone.

"Will you stop showing stranger Scarlet's photos and please send them to my e-mail account later?" Len said, and Kathy saw two girls' mouth splitting with huge grin. 

"Awwww," Lisa cooed and Kathy was pretty sure Len growled but it seemed much less intimidating than it would have been few minutes ago. 

"I'll send you a copy, yes." Iris said, putting her phone back into the pocket and grinning. 

"So, as you see, we need your best skills, Kathy. Do you think you can help us with that?" Iris said, and Kathy nodded smiling. 

"Of course, now that I've seen your brother's picture, now I'm certainly motivated to help him out." 

"Great!" Lisa said, sitting next to the long-haired guy on the bench and looking at Len expectantly. 

"Would you like me to take your coat, Mr.?" Kathy said, holding out her hands at Len and Len scowled but grumpily took off his parka and handed it to the tailor. 

"Okay, would you stand right on this spot, and I'll start measurement," Kathy said, and Iris gave him a nudge and Len glared at her. 

"I still don't understand your craziness." Len said. 

"Excuse me, but you're trying to date my brother, and you said it yourself, Barry deserves more." Iris said, unfazed by Len's disapproving growl. 

"I did, but this is getting ridiculous." Len said, "I meant when I said Scarlet deserved more than a shitty boyfriend, but how much do you expect for a first date?" 

Iris crossed her arms. 

"Well, you said things like you are better than Cold, but the first time Cold met Barry was on a bank heist." 

"Oh." Len said, blinking. 

"He then tried to ice Barry, stole a deadly weapon from the lab, fired it at my dad, and my boyfriend, stole a million dollar diamond, tried to kill Barry,"

.. Kathy was starting to think that maybe this Barry guy had the worst luck in dating the previous guy, then Iris continued, 

"Kidnapped a beautiful and talented scientist," 

"Aww, thank you Iris," the long-haired guy on the bench said to her and Iris glanced at him, 

"Not you, Cisco. I'm obviously talking about Caitlin." Iris said, rolling her eyes, and guy named Cisco scrunched his face, "Umm, thank you?" 

"- Then, kidnapped Barry's best friend to blackmail him into giving Barry's secret," Iris said, 

"Oh, no beautiful and talented scientist this time?" Cisco muttered under his breath to which Lisa patted him on the shoulder, 

"Robbed museums and banks and iced City Hall before he finally got Barry on the first date." Iris finally finished, 

and Kathy thought wow she really needed to help Len for both hot guy AND cute guy's sakes.

"Wow." Len said, dumbfounded. 

"That.. sounds.. horrible." He whispered, clearly more motivated to follow Iris's orders than before. 

"... I'm so re-evaluating everything about my brother right now." Lisa whispered. 

"Neh." Iris said, shrugging. 

"It was kind of romantic and cute, but kind of in a desperate and disastrous way." She said and Cisco nodded. 

"So, we, are going to make you look GOOD." Lisa said, uncrossing her arms and this time Len just nodded silently, though he still looked grumpy. 

"Luckily, you are already very easy on the eyes, so we just need you to dress up, find a right place and time, possibly in a very romantic place with a super romantic atmosphere, and woo Barry." Iris said, and Len nodded. Then Iris suddenly grinned. 

"After all, you're competing against a very hot piece of middle-aged man." 

"Oh, is he?" Kathy asked, and Iris raised her eyebrow. 

"Like a silver fox." 

"Oooooh." Kathy said, totally intrigued and Len raised his eyebrow at the girls' swoonings. 

"Seriously?" He said, and Iris grinned. 

"Just trying to make you see who you're up against, Len." She said, though her smile showed she was enjoying this situation too much. 

The measurement went quite smoothly after that, except the time when Len seemed to get more and more impatient as Kathy put on a different cloth over Len to see which one 'brought out the color of Len's eyes'. 

And every time Len seemed to go impatient, Iris would say, 

"Cold, you see, he always did know how to look great, whether it was with a simple black shirt or even with a parka." 

"Actually, I think he kind of made it look cool." Cisco chimed in, and they laughed at their own puns while Len looked so not impressed. 

Kathy was kind of taken aback that they needed the suit right away, but she gave them her best work, and when Len finally walked out of the changing booth with the suit completely tailored to the detail, everyone even including Kathy gasped. 

".. Well, what do you think?" Len asked, and he tried to look casual but felt flutter of nervousness inside. 

"Wow." Cisco said first, and Lisa shook her head but her grin was so proud. 

"That, is definitely going to work on Barry." Cisco said and Iris gave him a thumbs-up. 

Len looked at himself in the mirror, he did look nice but now he felt like a teenager standing on the porch of the date of his prom night and it was not helping the butterflies in his stomach. 

"You're going to be great, Lenny." Lisa said, gently grasping Len's arms and Len smiled back at her. 

"Now, you can wear this coat... and this muffler goes with it," Kathy said, helping him wear a nice dark grey coat and a darker colored muffler, "- And you're good to go." 

"You did us proud, Kathy." Iris said, and Kathy smiled happily at her. It truly was her masterpiece. 

"God Barry is so going to fall for this," Iris said, when suddenly Cisco's phone begin to vibrate. 

"Oh, excuse me," Cisco said, answering his phone, "Yes?" 

"Cisco!" It was Caitlin's voice, and Cisco's face brightened. 

"Oh, Cait, you are not going to believe what we've done here. Len looks-" 

"Barry got kidnapped by a mafia boss." Caitlin said, and Cisco paused. Everybody was looking at Cisco's frozen face now. Cisco blinked. 

"What?" He said, "... I mean, WHAT???"


	44. How Len turned to the Dark side

When Len and others arrived at the Starlabs, everyone was gaping at Len. 

"Wow Len, you look-" Hartley said, but Len gave him a stare that could possibly ice the Arendelle.

"How the hell did it happen?" Len asked, and the scientist shut his mouth like a clam. 

"... It's like he has a force choke." Cisco whispered to Iris and Iris rolled her eyes. Len could be intimidating when he wanted to, older or not. 

Caitlin and Hartley looked at each other and Caitlin poked Hartley's ribs and he mouthed something at Caitlin and she raised her eyebrows and nodded at Len's direction. 

It seemed like the silent battle between the two was over and Caitlin cleared her throat. 

"Everything happened so fast," she said, and Len turned around and looked at her and Caitlin hiccuped. 

"Wow, he really does have that look." Iris whispered to Cisco and Cisco shrugged like 'duh'. 

"Explain." Len gritted his teeth and Caitlin seemed to take a deep breath while gauging the 22 year old's rage level. 

"So, you remember Joe asking Barry for help in the Cortex when you were kidnapped by your sister and Iris to someplace mysterious?" She said. 

"Yes," Len said slowly. 

"Well, it turned out there was this 2 year plan in the police to catch this mob boss's son, and it kind of got sideways at the last minute and they needed help." 

"From the Flash?" Cisco asked, 

"Not exactly," Hartley said shaking his head. And when Len just glared at him and did not give him death stare anymore, he seemed to gain courage. God he was scary now that he looks so much like the head of the Rogues he knew. 

"Then how did Barry got sucked into that?" Cisco asked, and Hartley shrugged. 

"Well, it was kind of Caitlin's fault-" Hartley began and Caitlin fumed, 

"Wait, what? It was you who-" 

"But you didn't- " 

"I was not going to-" 

"You guys," Cisco raised his hand, 

"Really don't want to watch Len blow up here." He said, and when everybody looked around and saw Len's face, they all quieted down immediately. 

"Do you think this is the time when Leonard Snart decided to go to the dark side?" Cisco whispered to Iris and Iris was watching Len with careful eyes, 

"I don't think so," Iris said, "At least not yet, he's only at stage 3 rage level." 

"What?" Cisco asked Iris and Iris shushed him. 

"Joe said bringing down this mafia gang was the main goal of the drug task force in the precinct for years. And now they were just about to closing down the entire organization, the single critical USB that the undercover cop was supposed to get was missing." Hartley said. 

"Turns out, this mob boss's only son," Caitlin said, 

"A very, very spoiled brat," Hartley added, 

"Yes, he took the USB at the last minute and now the task force is stuck because they don't have the USB drive." 

"Where does Barry getting kidnapped fit into this?" Lisa asked, crossing her arms, and Caitlin and Hartley exchanged quick looks. 

"Well actually, technically, it's not exactly a kidnapping?" Hartley said, and Len raised his eyebrow. 

"Joe said because the operation can't be exposed, since it's secret and undercover and all, so the Flash can't be involved, But Barry could go near the guy and observe the situation. Because nobody in the gang would suspect Barry and he could get out anytime he wants if the situation got dangerous." Hartley said. Caitlin nodded. 

"So we went downtown club where this Kendrick guy was at," she said, "And we were drinking and trying to blend in until this guy saw Hartley staring at the guy--- "

Hartley spluttered at that. 

"I couldn't help it! He was kind of cute when I saw him in person---" 

"Seriously??" Lisa said to Hartley and Hartley avoided her eyes, 

"And Kendrick began to approach us, and we panicked and Caitlin kept saying 'Omg, what do we do? He's coming this way! Distract him!' and I said 'Distract him how? With what?' and she said, 'I don't know, use something, throw something pretty that'll distract him!' and I-- I---" Hartley said. 

"Hartley, what did you do?" Len asked, and Hartley gulped. 

"I.. may have pushed Barry to Kendrick?" The scientist squeaked very quickly and very quietly but everybody heard him. 

"You did what?" Iris and Lisa yelled simultaneously. Hartley looked like he was about to cry. 

"I don't know! She told me to throw him something pretty!" Hartley said pointing finger at Caitlin and Lisa screamed. "That is not an explanation!" 

"This is bad, so bad," Cisco muttered, watching as the (probably imaginary) dark cloud of doom forming around Len in horror. 

"So.. long story short, the next thing we knew, the mob boss's son was chatting up with Barry and the precinct's task force leader contacted us for collaboration and Joe is coming here to kill Hartley now." Caitlin finished and was followed with a horribly long silence in the room. 

"And where is Scarlet now?" Len asked, his voice dropped to very low(and dangerous) point and Hartley looked like he wanted run back in time and change the timeline and not face the wrath of his former boss's younger self. 

"About that, good news! I've connected the city's every street cameras to keep on eye on where Barry and Kendrick are, and so far nothing too bad's happened." Hartley quickly said, turning on the monitors of the computers and Len and the others watched the screen coming to life. 

"Barry's been trying to steal the USB from the guy and so far it's been tricky..." 

There they could see Barry and Kendrick walking down the 32nd Street, heading toward--- 

"Are they heading toward... the Central City park?" Iris said, and as they said, they entered the entrance of the park where Kendrick offered to buy cotton candy from a vendor in front of the gate. Everybody gaped as they watched the Godfather's son gave one giant fluffy pink cotton candy to Barry. 

"Wow, that was.." Iris whispered, "... Not the way I expected a mobster's son would take out a date." 

"Wait a minute, they're talking about something." Lisa said. 

"The vendor is our guy," Joe's voice said, and everybody turned around in time to see Joe enter the Cortex, and Hartley and Caitlin smoothly melted back into the background, 

"We can hear them talking, use this," Joe said handing Cisco a disk and Cisco quickly plugged it to the computer. 

"--- I'm glad your friend accidentally pushed you to me, I didn't think I could find such beautiful date at the eve of Christmas," Kendrick said, and Len gritted, 'Cheesy bastard', under his breath. 

"Keep your cool Lenny, when this fake date with that slick head is over, you can still take Barry out for a real date," Lisa said, and Len seemed to gather his calm. 

Then Kendrick leaned into Barry and said, 

".. Have you heard of the 30 minute miracle at the City plaza?" 

"Oh hell no." Len said. 

And everybody knew when they lost Len and he turned to the dark side.


	45. A really scary father-in-law and son-in-law telepathy battle

"Len," Iris said, when she saw the 22 year old pick up his coat and storm out the Cortex. 

"Len!" 

"What?" Len turned around, facing the worried faces of the group. 

"What are you going to do?" Cisco asked, and Len smiled. Truthfully, it would have been better if Len hadn't smiled because the sight was truly terrifying. Like gut-freezing terrifying. 

"I'm going to find that slick-haired son of a bitch and show what happens when they mess with Scarlet." Len said, "And just out of curiosity, where is an appropriate dump site for the trash around here that won't be found for three to five days?" 

"Oh my god." Caitlin said, and Hartley asked, "Len, you're not going to..." 

And Len rolled his eyes. 

"Relax. I'm not going to commit homicidal crimes just because somebody hit on Scarlet." Len said, and everybody watched as Cisco muttered under his breath, "Yeah, but you'll burn the banks, freeze villain's asses off and crash a broadcasting station to announce that nobody messes with your Scarlet but you." 

Len didn't hear that. 

Everybody watched in horror as Len packed series of items on his way out that suspiciously looked like: duct tape, wires, plastic bag, plastic-

"Stop, stop!" Joe yelled, waving his arms and Len turned around. 

"You, can't go out there like that." Joe said sternly, and Len stuck his chin out defiantly and looked at him. 

"Are you going to stop me? Because you're going to fail." Len said and Joe crossed his arms and sighed. 

"No, I know that's not going to happen as long as your mind's already made up. But, if you go out there now and kidnap or do whatever horrible things you have planned in mind, it'll blow up the entire mission that the task force has been working on for 2 years and you'll disappoint Barry." Joe said. 

Len's face faltered at that last word. Joe nodded slowly as he watched the young man's face. 

"... So what do you propose I do?" Len asked, and Joe tilted his head. 

"You can, however, still get Barry out of that slick-head's date and save the operation if you help Barry get the USB drive." Joe said carefully, and Len smirked at the use of 'slick-head' of the older man. 

"I'm listening." Len said, and Joe nodded. 

"Barry's now trying to get to the USB drive without being noticed. Meanwhile, there are other urgent Flash-matters that needs to be attended and if they don't get done Barry will be forced to leave his current mission. Unless," 

"- Unless I get do those Flash stuffs for him to buy him some time." Len finished his sentence and Joe nodded. 

"Exactly." 

"Wow that was like watching a really scary father-in-law and son-in-law telepathy." Cisco whispered and Iris shook her head. You should have seen them on Thanksgiving. She whispered back. 

"It's like every Thanksgiving it's silent war and I'm not even touching the 2016 Turkey rebellion." 

"What does that even mean?" Cisco asked, and when Iris opened her mouth to answer, he shook his hands. "No, no, I don't even want to know."

"He can't go to that 30 minute something with that douche." Len said, and Joe shrugged. 

"It's up to you, Len." 

Len seemed to consider the offer for a moment. 

"So, what do I have to do to fill Barry's shoes in the meantime?" He said and Joe grinned. 

"Cisco? Would you show Len Barry's to-do list for today?" 

Cisco jumped at the detective's words and opened up the laptop. Then he brought up the map on the screen which everyone looked at. 

"It's the map of the city." Len said slowly, and Cisco nodded. 

"What're all those red dots that are blinking?" Lisa asked and Cisco clicked another button and there was a list that contained at least dozens of things. 

"Yeah, this is the current mapping of the city where they need Flash's attention." Cisco said, pointing at the screen, and Len and Lisa both gaped at the screens. 

"There's like at least 20 lists on this map." Len said, and Caitlin shook her head. "No, the list is not over." 

Then she turned on another screen and there popped another dozen of lists on the screen. 

"You mean Barry deals with all these things in one day?" Lisa asked and Caitlin nodded. 

"He doesn't need 10000 calories a day for no reason, and that's the amount he needs on slow day." 

"Wow." Lisa looked at the blinking red dots again and Len furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Plus, we still got to find that missing 2 tons of fireworks deal that is going to happen at the City hall plaza." Iris added helpfully. 

"It's Christmas Eve, there's a huge event going on at the center of the city and the whole city's gathering there, the traffic outside would be crazy. Do we really think it's possible?" Hartley said, but Len was not backing down. Not when it was the one day he could get Scarlet. 

"I'm doing it. Or die trying." Len said, snatching up his coat(it really was a nice coat, Kathy did him proud). 

"We're coming with you!" Cisco quickly said, jumping up from his seat as well as the others in the lab. Len looked at them in surprise. 

"You're all going to help me?" 

"Of course, we're your friends, Len." Caitlin said softly, and Iris and Lisa were smiling next to her too. 

"I'm not, I still have mixed feelings about you Snarts but you couldn't pull this without every help you can get." Hartley said, and everybody looked around to see Joe. 

Joe was crossing his arms, and when everybody looked at him expectantly he shrugged. 

"What?" 

"You're being oddly quiet, dad." Iris said, and Joe shrugged. 

"I mean, I just got rid of pain in my ass son-in-law wannabe, I don't want to help Barry make another one." Joe said, and Iris gave him a stern look.

"Dad." 

"Okay, okay, but if this doesn't pan out, I want to ground Barry and never let him meet any other boys until he turns 30." Joe said. 

Lisa and Cisco giggled at that, while Iris rolled her eyes and turned to Len. 

"Forgive my dad, he can be one mean overprotective papa bear and he really means every word he says." Iris said, and Len couldn't help feel little sorry for Cold in that moment. He must have had it rough. 

"So, let's hit the road, shall we?" Cisco said, and they all headed out to the parking lot. 

As they all crammed into Starlab's suspiciously worn-down van, Len looked down at the i-pad where dozens of red dots were blinking up at him like they were mocking him. 

No, he could do this. There was nothing that could stop Len from finishing all those tasks that this crazy city burdened on the Flash(which had Len wonder how the hell the city had survived before the Flash in the first place) and get a proper date that Len deserved with Barry. 

Nothing. 

 

 

 

(30 minutes later) 

"...Damn it!!" 

Len bumped his head on the window. 

The traffic was killing him and they have been stuck on the street for 25 minutes since they left the lab.

"Are you kidding me??" Len shouted, and everybody including Joe who was on the driver's seat shrugged and looked out the window. 

Only 4 and a half hour before the 30 minute miracle Christmas. 

It was not looking great.


	46. Hazel green-eyed monsters and Len on a tree

"Lenny, what are you thinking right now?" Lisa asked, and Len's forehead was still bumped against the window of the car. 

"What. You can't even see my face right now." Len said his voice muffled against the window. Lisa rolled her eyes. 

"No, but I can see the back of your head and I can read the back of your head like a book. And the book looks like inside the Dante's Inferno." 

Lisa exchanged looks with the rest of the crew crammed in the back of the seat and asked again. "So, what are you thinking?" 

"I'm thinking," Len said slowly, bumping his forehead against the window again, 

"Which would work better, me icing this entire block and the next 20 blocks in order to get to the first location that that goddamn red dot is mockingly blinking at me on the map, or I walk over to that bank across the street and start shooting sculptures so that the Flash would show up." 

"Yes, those are some bad thoughts." Hartley said. 

"Well, there's one way that you could use to cut through traffic and lines." Cisco said, and Len looked at him. 

"What is it?" Len said, and Cisco quickly exchanged looks with Caitlin and Iris. 

"... Why are you guys just looking at each other and giving that suspicious looks?" Len asked, and Caitlin finally poked Cisco's side and Cisco yelped. 

"You can try this", Cisco said, pulling out the thing from under the seat and showing it to Len. Len's face immediately hardened at the sight. 

"No." 

Iris looked around at her friends. Then she seemed to decide something and put a hand on the back of the car seat where Len was sitting. 

"Imagine this, Barry sitting in a cafe with Kendrick, drinking hot cocoa side by side, Barry laughing at Kendrick's silly jokes and he gently touches his arms---" Iris said, and Len growled at her. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Oh, I know what she's doing," Hartley chimed in. 

"Imagine Barry sitting at a movie theater, and the timing is just right, and Kendrick's hand is itching toward's Barry's----" 

"Stop. I know what you're doing and it won't work." Len said, and Joe on the driver's seat seemed equally disturbed. "Why do I have the worst wanna be son-in-laws?" He muttered under his breath. 

"Oh, I know, I know." Caitlin said, raising her hand and Hartley rolled his eyes. "It's not school presentation, you don't have to raise your hand," 

Caitlin gave Hartley a glare and looked at Len and said, 

"Imagine Barry in a Flash suit, stretching and bending himself in all the right places, and imagine the bad, bad Kendrick watching behind him, exchanging banters with the Flash while he comes over and puts his hands on Barry's tight leather-clad bottoms-" 

"Caitlin!" Everybody shouted in unison as Caitlin yelped and jumped in her seat. 

"Cait, what the hell?" Cisco asked looking bewildered and traumatized and Caitlin shrugged. "...I read stuffs from the internet?" 

"From where? Read what?" Hartley said hoarsely and Iris was nodding shocked next to him. "Yeah, and can I get a link or a title?"

"Oh, it's called---" Caitlin said, turning to her friend excitedly. 

"Everybody shut up. Nobody is exchanging or reading any more stuffs and I'll put that damn thing on." Len said, gritting his teeth and Cisco's face brightened. 

"Great! This would definitely save our time, you'll see." The scientist said and Len sighed. He didn't know what had gotten into his life these days. 

 

 

 

"Everybody please make ways, Flash's boyfriend coming to the rescue!" Cisco yelled happily as they drove with the red and yellow siren blasting. Len in his Cold's parka was hiding his face in his palms while the citizens of the Central city saw the familiar sight of Captain Cold and made ways for the van. 

To his utmost horror and embarrassment, Len was met with constant recognition of the crowd. 

"Hey, it's Captain Cold!" 

"We haven't seen you for a while!" 

"Where is the Flash? He'll be at the plaza with you at midnight, right?" 

".... I can't believe this is actually working. What the hell is wrong with this city?" Len muttered his face still hiding behind his palms while the van ran on full speed to the first destination and Iris shrugged. 

"Barry is our beloved hero and you would not believe what Cold had done to win over Barry and his loving fan clubs." 

"We love you and the Flash together!" A group of teenage girls giggled and shouted on the street as the van passed by. Len gaped and looked back at the lab family. Everybody shrugged. 

"What can we say? You do make a lovely couple." Cisco said, then quickly added, "I mean, the Cold and the Flash does." 

Len sighed while Lisa snickered with tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"Do I even look like the Cold? How can they all fall for this?" Len asked, hating himself in Cold's parka after he had stormed out of the room and yelling at Cold about being a bullshit boyfriend. 

"Well, you two are both hot and have this feature that is both rugged and sophisticated at the same time," 

Iris said, "And you both have buzz cut and have similar build." 

"So add a parka and sunglasses and Cold gun, nobody would recognize you're not Cold." Joe said. 

"... Why does the universe hate me so much?" Len said, and Caitlin tapped the window as Joe pulled over the corner of a bank. 

"We've reached our first destination." 

"Great. I could rob some bank right now." Len said and Cisco who was tapping at the I-pad blinked. 

"Uh, no. That's not our goal here." 

"Then what is?" Len said, suddenly a very bad feeling coming over him. 

"It's Captain Cold! He's here!" A voice shouted behind him and as Len turned around from the bank, he saw a group of small children shouting and giggling excitedly on the field. 

"No." Len whispered. 

"Melissa's kitten went up the tree and can't get down. Could you get him down, Mr.Cold?" An adorable young girl with braided twin tails asked him and Len stopped in his track. 

Caitlin and Iris were already cooing over the expectant puppy eyes of the little kids and Len shook his head. 

"I'm not going to climb up the tree to save that freaking feline." 

"Aww, but they're so cute! She's so cute!" Lisa said who was far too much enjoying her brother's suffering. 

"She reminds me of when I was little." Lisa said, impudently batting her eyelashes next to the girl. 

"Not. Gonna. Happen." Len gritted. 

"Flash would have gotten him out already." A skinny boy with freckles over his nose said. 

"I like the Flash more anyway. He's cute." Then the boy looked at Len and shrugged. "Meh. The Flash could have done better." 

Cisco and Hartley both had to jump in front of Len to keep him from fighting the little boy. 

"The kid's got a point." Iris shrugged and when Len looked at her she hesitantly shrugged. 

"Not that, I mean Barry would've saved the little kitten for this young lady in a heartbeat." She said, and Len shut his eyes and took a deep breath. 

"Which tree are you talking about?" Len said, and the girl who was apparently Melissa stepped forward timidly and pointed a finger at the tree behind her. 

Everybody looked at the tree the little girl pointed. 

Actually, everybody looked UP at the tree that was pointed.

"... It's huge." Cisco whispered, and Hartley was gaping next to him too. 

"It's like a freaking Baobab." Hartley said. And he was not exaggerating. 

"How did the kitten even climb up there in the first place?" Joe asked, and the twin tail girl shrugged. "He's really fast and curious?" She said like a half question half explanation.

"He's fearless, and I swear we just took our eyes off for a second and he was up there." 

"That reminds me of someone." Len muttered, staring up at the endless soaring trunk of the gigantic tree. 

There was nothing in the world that would make him climb that freaking tree and rescue a teeny tiny furball of a cat. 

There was just no way in hell. 

 

 

 

"... Freaking. Feline." Len gritted. 

"Meow." The little white furball replied in Len's hand, clawing at Len's gloved hand with its tiny paws. 

"Don't wiggle. If I drop you here I'll never hear the end of it." Len said, gripping the trunk of the tree when he looked down at the ground. The Starlabs family looked so tiny up here(some of them were waving up at him), it even had that high-rise breeze that was both refreshing and chilling at the same time. 

"You're nothing but trouble in pretty face, and that's why I'm on this freaking tree in the first place." Len said to the kitten(great, now he was talking to the cat) trying to find a good place to pocket him when he climbed down. 

"At least you don't have a red fur, that's a small consolation." Len said, trying to push the little kitten into his parka pocket when the kitten kept poking his head out. Len sighed and grabbed it and looked right into its face. 

"You listen, I have to get you to the ground safely, and that won't work if you keep defying me, okay?" Then Len paused and looked at the kitten's eyes. ".. Great. You have hazel green eyes. That's just great." 

"Meow." The kitten slapped Len's nose with its paw. Len scowled and zipped down the front of his parka a little and put him there. The kitten seemed to like the new place, clinging tight onto Len's newly bought suit in there and mewed happily. 

"Watch it, I have a date in that suit in a few hours." Len warned it, and the kitten tried to slap Len's nose again. Len sighed and started climbing down the gigantic tree again. 

"You hazel green-eyed monsters, thinking you can get away with everything just because you're cute and adorable and smiles like the sunshine and the greens of the trees." 

"Meow." 

Len swore he saw the kitten snickering but he focused on climbing down. 

How the hell his life got to this point he'd never know.


	47. Get those filthy hands off my boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my excuse my text file on the computer on which i was writing this fic got deleted completely by my brother accidentally(the storyline, the quotes, the minor details and everything), and i lost all will to write this fic and my will to live for a while.  
> But December and Christmas brings me this irresistible Coldflash energy that I can't resist, and somehow I remembered some things I wanted to write in this fic and decided to give it another try.  
> I'm so thankful for all the encouragements you left, and I'll try to finish this fic before Christmas or die trying. Have a great day!!

"We've done it!" Cisco said, as he finally put down the red hammock that somehow got into the van. 

They went to four different car accidents, one house on fire, two banks that were being robbed, two other kittens that needed to be rescued and four drunk fights. At the end of the line everybody in the Starlabs were in complete mess, Cisco had his hair half torn out by the vicious kittens and Hartley got punched in the face by a drunk old lady. It both made Hartley and Cisco sobbed and laughed at the same time, police officers who later arrived at the scene were confused if they had to arrest them too. But when they saw Len in Cold's parka, they stopped and said hello. 

"I thought Cold was supposed to be a villain?"

Iris shrugged. 

"It's Christmas eve! And they saw you help civilians. They know you're a good Cold today, especially today of all days."

"God, I don't understand this city." Len muttered, trying to pull away the kitten from his suit yet again. He dodged every drinks, fire, fists and against all those harm this day to save the suit, and this kitten from the first mission was clinging to it every chance he's got. 

When Len handed the kitten to the little kid who asked for help in the first place, the kid-Melissa - tried to hold it but it sprang away from her hands and clung tight to Len. 

"I think he likes you more."

Melissa said, and Len dropped his jaw. 

"What? I can't have this cat, this is your cat."

"Actually, I played with her for a few times but she's not mine. I saw her up on the tree and couldn't get down, so I called for help and you rescued her. I think he likes you now." The little girl said. 

And that happened. 

"Why are you clawing at my suit? I saved you. At least you could show me some respect for the suit and my date." Len gritted, grabbing the kitten's neck and holding him to his eye level. 

The kitten meowed, and playfully wiggled his front paws. 

"You see? He's trying to claw my eyes out." Len said, to which Iris and Caitlin saw in disbelief.

"He's trying to play with you, you monster." Caitlin said. 

"Why am I the one being called names here?" Len said, handing the kitten to Lisa's overstretched hands. 

"Gotcha!" Lisa said, hugging the little beast. 

"I see your point now, brother. He does have that cute face and hazel green eyes. No wonder you bitch about him and still can't seem to get rid of him." 

"I'm not- He's not- nevermind." Len said, while Iris and Caitlin gave Lisa the giggles. 

"Anyway, I have a date. Cisco, that was our last job, right?" Len asked the technician, who opened his mouth when a loud thud hit the van. 

"Actually, THIS was the last one." Joe said, handing the struggling muggers to the police outside the van. Everyone gaped at the man as he climbed into the van. 

"I can't believe I'm helping pass Barry to one son-in-law wannabe to the other, but still here I am." Joe said, to which Cisco patted him on the shoulder. 

"Thanks?" Len said, to which Joe raised his eyebrows. 

"Don't think this means you'll get easy pass on me with dating Barry."

"I expect nothing less sir." Len said, and somehow that got Joe's grin. 

"So we really did finish all those annoying red dots on the maps? We did them all?" Hartley said, breaking the unusual warm atmosphere between the two men, and Cisco shot out his hands in the air. 

"Yes! And we've got 1 hour and 20 minutes till midnight, so we'd better hurry and find those crazy teenagers with 2 tons of fireworks on their hands and then Len can save Barry from the cheesy mob kid!" Cisco said and then added, "God, I can't believe these are the normal days for us now." 

Everybody fell to silent solemnness after that. 

Then Iris grabbed the wheels on the van. 

"Then let's go catch the crazy teenagers!"

"Yes!" Lisa said next to her, and they were on. 

 

 

"I hope everybody hasn't forgotten me." Barry whispered, watching the clock tower on the City Hall as they neared the huge ice rink installed in front of it. Every Central City people seemed to have come out and joined the festival. There were vendors selling hot cocoa and donuts and hundred other snacks, there were people everywhere, teeming with people of little Elsa and Annas and young couples and old couples and---- 

"Hmm? What did you say darling?" 

Kendrick said next to him, trying to push another bite of white marshmallow into his mouth which Barry dodged again, and smiled awkwardly. Nothing, just can't wait to see the tree light up at midnight. 

"Oh, it's going to be beautiful. Just like you, I promise." Kendrick said, as he smiled happily munching the white marshmallows instead. Barry almost blurted out he knew, he knew how beautiful it was every year. How he and Len used to skate on the ice rink in front of the city hall, Joe and Caitlin would lean on the fence and wave at them, Barry always tripped and managed to slid across the ice like a snail with all his dignity and grace he's got. 

How Barry hated his boyfriend Len for laughing at him and enjoyed watching the speedster squirm helplessly on the ice, how Iris and Lisa would come to the rescue and take Barry's hands and they skated together, how Cisco would drink so much hot cocoa and marshmallows that he got sugar rush. But always 30 minutes before midnight, his boyfriend who just enjoyed too much misery from the graceless skater that Barry was, came to him and offered his hands. 

Barry would always deny them first, pouting menacingly and swatting away the offered hands, but Len would grin and skate around Barry until he wore down the speedster with his exaggerated act of love-stricken man dying from Barry's cold cold heart. Barry could never stay stone-faced at Len's ridiculous acts, and he would finally burst out laughing and say stop, and give Len his hand. Len would catch his hand then, and then they skated together, Barry still clumsy and horrible on the ice but somehow it didn't matter, nobody noticed it anymore, Len was with him. 

"It's ten minutes before the '30 minute miracle at the City plaza', people! Couples, gather round with your partners for the most romantic night of the Central!" 

The voice on the speaker boomed across the air and couples began to gather round the ice rink. 

"Ready for the miracle?" Kendrick said, handing out two pairs of skaters to Barry. Great. Blue and red skaters, just like he and Len used to get. 

"Actually, I think I'm not in mood for--" Barry said, but Kendrick was insistent, he grabbed Barry's wrist and grinned handsomely, which might have worked unless Barry was so depressed. 

"You'll never forget tonight if you skate," He said, and Barry looked down at the skates, thought about the USB drive that he still had to get, and- 

"Get those filthy hands off my boyfriend." 

People's head turned around at the voice and Barry's eyes widened and he jumped turning back.


	48. I have a bad feeling about this (in a familiar voice)

"You'll never forget tonight if you skate," He said, and Barry looked down at the skates, thought about the USB drive that he still had to get, and-

"Get those filthy hands off my boyfriend."

People's head turned around at the voice and Barry's eyes widened and he jumped turning back.

Kendrick stared, and so did Barry. 

"What...?"

Kendrick said. Barry stared too, hard. There he was, in his long-missed boyfriend's infamous parka, was--- 

"...Hartley?" Barry said. 

"No, not Hartley, I'm Cold." Said Hartley. Barry raised his eyebrows. 

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to rescue you from this date, Barry." Hartley whispered, but as Barry and Kendrick were standing side by side, it was kind of losing its point. 

Only Iris was standing behind him, so Barry gave her 'what the hell is going on' gesture but she was not meeting his eyes, her face hidden in her hands like it was too much to watch. 

"What the- Why are you- Where IS Len? Where is everybody?" Barry asked increduloused. 

"He's away. They're away. We've parted, those kids with 2 tons of fireworks that the Santa has talked about? They're probably hiding in the building somewhere around here and the others went to find them."

"Oh my god..."

Barry said, and people were staring at them now, some kids got excited and pointed at Hartley and yelped "That's Mr.Cold!" but older kids were scowling and shaking their heads, saying "That's not him, even from miles away that's clearly not him."

"I can hear you guys!" Hartley turned around and shouted at them, and the kids dispersed. Then Hartley turned around and looked at Barry. 

"And that explains why you're in my boyfriend's clothes?" Barry said, his face getting paler and paler by seconds. 

"I told you, this is a rescue mission." Hartley said again, waving his Coldgun in the air. 

"I was supposed to rescue you before that cheesy slickhead brought you to 30 minute miracle," Hartley said, "So play along."

"Standing right here, heard everything, knows everything." Kendrick said, raising his hand and waving it. Barry palmed his face. 

"This is going so horribly." Iris said behind him and Hartley shouted hysterically,"We've got this! Get it together woman!" 

"Oh god..."

Barry whispered. The night was going so horribly, he wished he could run to the end of the shore and howl miserably. 

Where the hell was Len and what was he doing right now? 

 

 

 

"I've been chased by time-traveling assassins and kidnapped by power-changing metas. I've pulled more heights and schemes than you could ever dream of, I've gone through every most highly guarded securities and safes and I've kidnapped the Santa and I made. Him. Sing." 

Len said, his voice so calm, so so very calm that the color of people's face in front of him drained slowly as they watched him talk, all the while playing carelessly with the knife in his hand. 

"So when I tell you that I'll do everything in my power to make you guys sing until I get the information that I want, you have to know that I mean it. So, Handerson. What do you have to say?" 

Len said, stepping in front of the bounded man wearing green hoodie. The guy, Handerson, squealed in absolute terror. 

"........... Oh my god please don't kill us?"

"Not the answer that I want." Len said, and as Handerson begin to scream and Len stepped forward, Caitlin and Cisco quickly stepped between them. 

"Woah woah Len, calm down. We can talk this out, right? You're way too terrifying right now. We just have to get the information where the fireworks are, not to traumatize these kids for the rest of their lives." Cisco said. 

"They're older than me." Len grit out, and Cisco forgot about it for a second, and blinked. Yeah Captain Cold could be really scary when he wanted to be, he almost forgot Len was only 22 right now, against these dumbheads who were caught with the remains of the 2 tons of fireworks in the empty floor in the building. 

They were not exactly young kids as the elves and the Santa depicted, three of them in their mid 20s and one of them, Handerson, in his late 20s. Len and Ciscos found them on the empty floor with piles of fast food trash and soda and five open boxes of fireworks, and that's when Len stepped forward. 

"Yeah, dude, chill it man, why do you have to be so mean?" One of the guys whimpered and shouted, and Len growled. 

"Don't. Use. Cold puns on me." Len said, biting each words. "Not in the mood."

"Not helping Jason!" Cisco yelled, pointing his finger at the guy who yelled tied next to Handerson. Jason sniffed and wiggled away. 

"Just.. Let us handle this for a while, okay? You've done the scary part for us." 

Caitlin said, gently patting Len on the shoulder and Len huffed, and crossed his arms and nodded. 

"Jeez, what's gotten into him?" Jason and his friend said when Caitlin, Cisco and Joe stepped up to them and Cisco shrugged. 

"He's having a bad day. The guy he wants to date is currently being wooed by the mafia's son,"  
"What?"  
"And he also has to compete with the guy's boyfriend, who by the way is just himself in the future but unfortunately he, standing there, doesn't know it yet, because of course you know, timey whimey thing. Timeline rules and stuff like that."  
"What?"  
"So all in all, you know how these things can get to a man. You have to understand he's high-strung right now."

The look that Jason and Handersons gave Cisco was priceless but Joe cleared his throat. 

"So would you guys just help us out and tell us where did the rest of the fireworks go?"

The tied men looked at Joe, who looked obviously the seasoned cop and then at Len, who was tapping his shoe glaring at the lot behind them. They seemed to decide that the cop with the gun was much safer choice than Len and Handerson sighed and spoke up. 

"We were just trying to have fun with the leftovers here, Sam is the one who planned to sell them to that crazy guy and when we finished loading the fireworks onto the truck, he said he will make the trade at the City hall just ten minutes ago before you guys showed up." Handerson said. 

Caitlin blinked. 

"What crazy guy?"

Jason shrugged. 

"I don't know, the guy named James Jees or Jessi or something."

"Oh no." Cisco and Joe said in unison. 

"You mean James Jesse?" Cisco asked, and Jason nodded. "Yeah, that guy. Old dude who kept cackling to himself. He had mad glint in his eyes. Kind of creepy, but he paid us well." 

"No..."

Colors drained from Caitlin and the other two.

"You know that guy?"

Len asked, stepping close and Handersons wiggled back, while Joe and the others looked like they just swallowed a bomb. 

"There's a trickster who likes to blow things up who is about to get his hands on 2 tons of fireworks at the City Hall full of people." 

Cisco said, horrified. 

The color on Jason and Handersons' faces drained as well as realization of whom them passed 2 tons of explosives on drawn on them. 

It was not going to be a pretty Christmas.


	49. Can it be?

The big Christmas tree that they put up every year in the middle of the city hall plaza was really beautiful. It was 40 feet high, was decorated with numerous pretty ornaments, ranging from glittering snowballs to golden light bulbs that spread around the tree and then around the plaza so that when you look up from the ground, the sky seemed full of Christmas miracles. 

This beautiful tree was almost finished decorating, and kids were watching as the Santa who put the final dozen ornaments on the tree stepped down from the ladder. Kathy, a 7 year old who never saw a Santa before, skipped and hopped to see him better. The Santa was quite small, and he was handing out presents to children gathered around him. She couldn't wait to get hers too. 

And finally, finally when she got get close to Santa and he handed out this pretty red box to her, she couldn't stop giggling and she looked at the Santa gratefully. 

"Thank you Santa."

"Aren't you a polite one." The Santa said, his green eyes maybe shining too brightly. He coughed, like he was trying to hide this cackling laughter that seemed to spill out of him. 

"Can I open this now, Santa?"

Kathy asked, and the Santa cackled again and grinned. 

"Oh no, it will open itself when it's time, kiddo."

Kathy looked up at him excitedly. 

"When will it open?"

The Santa grinned even more hugely. 

"Soon, dear. Very soon."

 

 

 

 

"So who the hell is this James Jesse guy?"

Lisa shouted, as they ran through the crowded street. They drove the van as fast as they could to the City hall, but it was nearing midnight and the crowd was gathering, which meant the traffic was stuck. After 150 seconds of super annoying wait in the unmoving van, they all decided to abandon the vehicle and run the last block to the city hall. 

"He's the Trickster, who has multiple history of trying to blow up and Barry and other people."

Cisco shouted as he dodged another crowd and ran past them. Len was having the hardest time getting through the crowd, as people recognized his parka and crowded around him. 

"Oh my god it's Cold!"

"Is Flash coming soon?"

"We love you two together!"

Many of them were with their cell phone waving in the air, and soon they were trapped in the sea of crowd. 

"Flash emergency! We have to get Captain Cold to the City Hall right now!"

Cisco shouted, and the crowd parted ways for them, though there were simply too many people on the street. Len saw people taking pictures of him, teenage girls giggling and shouting something like 'We love you and Flash together!' or 'You guys make such cute couple!' 

"Really?"

Len said, when they finally got to the thinner part of the crowd. Caitlin shrugged. 

"Sometimes I can't even believe how hard this city ships you guys.. I mean the Cold and the Flash."

Iris and Cisco gave her a look but fortunately Len seemed to be distracted and seemed not to have heard her. Instead he turned around and faced them. 

"How come they never suspect that I'm not really 'him'?"

Len asked, and Hartley suddenly coughed so loudly that people looked around them. 

"What?"

"They never seem to notice that I'm not really him. I'm not even wearing hoods or goggles, but still they think I'm Cold."

"What? That's nonsense!"

Cisco yelped, his voice too high and Iris gave him a death glare. 

"It's thing with celebrities, you think they know your face, but really it's different when you see it in person and when you watch them on TV."

Catilin said helpfully, and the crew all nodded eagerly. Len still looked distracted. 

"Some of them were yelling how great it is to see me again, they said I took pictures with them last month." Len said. 

"... You two really, really look alike?"

Joe tried weakly, but Len seemed like he wasn't listening. Cisco and others quickly exchanged panicked looks, when Len stopped in his track. 

They were now within sight of the City Hall, and the big tree was visible above the sea of crowds. Len's eyes shot that way, searching for the face that he longed for. 

"Len...?"

Lisa treaded carefully, and everybody was watching Len with fightened looks. 

"I've been wondering. I've been thinking about it, I've dreamed about it for so long." Len said, and everybody stopped dead in their track. 

"The whispers in my back, the look you guys gave me whenever I mentioned Cold."

"Len--"

Iris started, but Len wasn't done. 

"I saw the looks on your faces when Cold and I were in the same room. I know how you all stare at me when I wear Cold's parka. How I never get to learn his face, even the time-traveling ship's AI made damn sure to hide that face from me, and I only know that I look scarily like him, that the whole City would so readily be fooled. I've wanted to ask it for so long, asked myself a thousand times, but-"

Len stopped. He looked almost in pain. 

"...Am I? Can it be possible?"

Len said, his voice slightly trembling. He turned around, looking at his friend's faces. Nobody dared turn their eyes away from him, though nobody could dare make a sound either. 

"Tell me,"

Len said to Joe when he met the detective's eyes. Joe was watching Len carefully. Len's still young face was between agony and hope, daring to wish for something that he knew too good to be true. 

"... Can I be?"

Len whispered, and it broke Joe's and everybody's heart. They knew what Len was asking, what he finally started to realize, yet dared not give his hopes up. Len was asking the inevitable question, yet he himself was so doubtful, worried how it would break him if it turned out to be only a wishful thinking. 

Nobody dared to make a sound, until suddenly a girl's scream rang through the plaza. 

Everybody turned around, and there went up the first spark of firework in the air. 

"It's really good to be in Holiday spirits!"

The Trickster, who was dressed as Santa was waving his candy cane in the air, fireworks flying everywhere he stepped. 

"And I'm here to share the spirit!"

The Trickster cackled, and then Len and others could see the people behind the laughing villain. Behind the Trickster were ten little and old people, all tied up in ropes and packed with heavy loads of bombs and fireworks around their body. 

The crowd screamed to get away, though there were too many people, it only raised chaos in the air. 

"I see Mr.Cold here now. Let's see if my favorite superhero would come and join me."

The trickster said, lighting a match with the sole of his boots and grabbing one of the tied hostages. 

A mad grin split the old man's face. 

"Let the Christmas begin!"


	50. The Trickster, the burning tree and 30 minutes on the clock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the 1000 kudos! I'm really grateful and you made my day xD <3333

Barry was watching the chaos, horrified. 

"We have to get out of here."

Kendrick said, reaching for Barry next to him. 

No answer came, and Kendrick turned around bewildered. 

His date who was there a second ago, was no longer there. 

"... Barry?"

Kendrick looked around, lost in the sea of fleeing crowds. 

Where did he go? 

 

 

 

"Oh my god Oh my God." Caitlin said. 

"He knows. Cisco said. He knows, right?"

"We have to warn Barry." Iris said, and Joe shouted, 

"There are people tied up in bombs, people!" 

"Right, right." Cisco said, and he looked around. 

".. Where is Len?" Cisco said. 

"What?"

"Uh-oh." Lisa said, and they turned around to see Len walking straight to Trickster. 

"This is going to go bad." Lisa said.

"Oh, Mr.Cold in the flesh." 

James Jesse grinned manically as he waved his hands for his hired goons to come forward. There were dozens of them, all in their ski masks and with guns. The Trickster cackled. 

"Haven't seen you around for a quite while now. One might have thought you've gone--"

"I don't have time for you."

"What?"

Len fired up his cold gun as the Trickster's goons made a jump at him. They all froze from torso to feet in an instant, some of them frozen in midair and some of them skidding helplessly and crashed. 

"What the-"

"Move."

Len said, firing his cold gun again without hesitation. Trickster blinked, barely had enough time to recognize this situation when he dodged narrowly to avoid the cold blast shot in his way. 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Don't you have the common decency not to attack your fellow villains?"

Trickster shouted, and Len shrugged. 

"I have a question to ask Scarlet. You're in my way."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

Jesse screamed, and everybody was watching the scene in horror, while the Flash appeared behind the Trickster to release the terrified hostages. Then Barry flashed to hand the bombs for Cisco to deactivate them, when Hartley grabbed him by the shoulder and said, 

"He knows."

"What? Hart, what?"

"He KNOWS. Look at that."

Hartley turned Barry around, as the speedster saw the fighting match between Len and the Trickster. There were ice blasts everywhere, fireworks were fizzing everywhere, people were screaming and the giant Christmas tree was half frozen and half on fire. People were watching in horror. Children(and some adults) were crying. 

"It's not.. that bad." Barry said, weakly. 

"It looks like the seventh circle of hell, Barry. He's spiralling out of control, control your man." Hartley said, and Barry shook his head, still in shock. 

"He knows? How can he know?" Barry said, looking helpless and looked at his friends. 

"He suspects. He hopes, actually." Lisa said. 

"We did give him some clues to connect the dots and he's basically a genius supervillain who has made it his life goal to date you his whole life."

Cisco shut his mouth and blinked. 

"Did it sound as horrible as I thought it did in my head?"

Barry shook his head. 

"God... what should I do?"

Behind them, the hundred firework ornaments on 40 feet tree began to burst into sparks, turning the giant tree into one huge fire-spitter between the Trickster and Len. A huge branch that got caught in fire split with loud noise, and fell right over the Trickster's head. The Trickster tried to dodge it but he was slipping on ice and Barry was gone in a Flash. 

When the Flash appeared again in front of Cisco and Iris, he was with half-burnt half-frozen Trickster in a Santa Costume.  
His Santa Costume was basked white in tree ash, and other parts were burnt black. 

"Aww, you look like every little boy's nightmare." Lisa said sweetly, and Trickster turned to Barry and bellowed, 

"You!"

Everybody including Barry flinched. 

"You did this. You made that icicle maniac crazy!"

"It's a long story-" Barry started, 

"No, you listen! I have a right to wreck havoc on holidays without being burnt or iced or crushed by a freaking Christmas tree! I'm a civilized upstanding villain of the city! You have to control your man, Flash!"

"He has a point." Caitlin said, shrugging. Barry looked at her incredulously."Really?" 

Caitlin shrugged again. 

"So what's this all craziness about?" The Trickster finally seemed to calm a little after shouting and Barry sighed. 

"He's a young Leonard Snart from earlier timeline, long story short, he doesn't know that he becomes Captain Cold in the future, or that he dates me in the future. And now he realized that could be the possibility, he wants to know the truth."

"Well then," James Jesse scrunched his nose in confusion. "Why don't you just tell him?"

"It's not that simple." Barry said. "It will mess up the timeline, who knows what it will do to the future." 

"You've messed up the timeline plenty before batting an eye," James said, and when Barry opened his mouth to protest, he shushed him with a look. 

"Don't try to deny it, Flash. Every villain in the town knows what you've done and what you do. We have a weekly subscription."

"Can't argue with that one." Hartley said, and Barry scowled at him. 

"So the question is, what are you afraid of, Flash?"

Barry blinked. 

"What?"

The old Trickster was watching him closely. Barry felt trapped in those blue eyes. 

"I see fear when I see one. You're not doing this for the sake of the timeline, you're doing this because you're afraid of something."

Barry lost his words. Everybody was looking at him and he couldn't say the words. 

"What is it Flash?"

"I'm not- I can't-"

"Your future boyfriend is coming to you right now, Flash. Answer it."

"I can't-"

"Flash!"

Len shouted from behind, and Barry closed his eyes. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. 

"Say it!" Jesse hissed. 

"I'm afraid if I mess up the timeline, somehow it will lead to the future of him not loving me." 

Everybody was staring. 

"... What? Hartley was the first one to open his mouth."

"What? How can you think that? That's-"

"Crazy? Yeah, tell it to people in timelines that's already been erased or altered because of me." Barry said. Now that he's finally spoken the words aloud, he knew he couldn't run away from it anymore. 

It has been his deepest fear from the day one he met the little Snarts, worrying and wondering what would happen to the future that was affected by every little things that he did in the present. The nightmare became true when his Len confirmed it, that his past was being rewritten and he was remembering every new memories with Barry. 

Barry knew how flap of the little butterflies could end up in gigantic difference in the future. He was the living proof of how powerful those little ripples could be. And now they've already been through so much, he didn't want to overturn the water by throwing the biggest rock into it, in fear of he couldn't even recognize the original future with Len if he tried. 

He'd already done so much, he'd already risked so much. 

The future was unforgiving and all Barry wanted was his Len, why did this have to be so scary and dangerous?

"God you soapy little speedster with your evil kicked-puppy eyes." Trickster muttered under his breath. Barry blinked and looked at him. 

"Flash-"

Len's hand was on Barry's shoulder when James Jesse turned around and hit Len's head with a frying pan that came out of nowhere. 

There was a loud Clang! sound and Len collapsed on his knees, dead-like. 

"What did you do?!"

Cisco yelped, and the Trickster shrugged. 

"He's not dead, I just knocked him out."

"You carry a frying pan in your Santa bag? What kind of Santa are you?" Hartley said. Then the Trickster sighed and pushed them, to pull out a bag of sparkly dust from his pocket. 

"Wait, what is that?"

Lisa asked, her hands tight on her gold gun and the Trickster snorted. 

"It's called the Pixie Dust sweetling, I made them personally." The Trickster said. "It will help him wipe the memory for the past one hour. If you behave more carefully this time, he'll not get to the same conclusion he had for a while."

They all watch hesitantly as the Trickster poured some of the glittering dust onto Len's unconscious face. The dust dissolved with sparkle in the air and Len breathed peacefully. 

"Why would you help me?"

Barry said, when the Trickster put the dust back in his pocket. 

"Let's just say you've saved me from being crushed by that damn tree and I can't stand to look at your sad puppy eyes anymore."

Barry sniffed sheepishly. 

"Thanks?"

"Ugh. You're the worst."

The Trickster said, making disgusted face. 

"Uh, Flash?"

Joe said, nodding. 

"Kendrick is still here."

"What?" Barry turned around. Indeed the young mobster looked lost in the crowd, searching for something. 

"What is he looking for?"

"I think he's looking for you, Barry." Iris said. "Oh, that's sweet. He worries about you and kept looking for you in all these mess."

"He's supposed to be a cheesy mobster." Hartley said. "Why does he have to be sweet too? God I sometimes hate you Flash." 

Barry turned to Jesse. 

"Trickster," Barry said, "Can you do me another favor?"

The Trickster rolled his eyes and pushed his pocket to him. 

"Ugh. Have at it."

"Thanks!"

Barry dabbed his finger in the pocket and flashed toward Kendrick. He looked bewildered as he recognized the Flash and again when he flashed them into the corner where people wasn't watching. 

"Flash? Why are you-"

"It's me. Barry."

Barry said, taking off the cowl. Kendrick's eyes were huge. 

"You..? You're the Flash?"

"Yeah, seems like it." Barry grinned. 

"I'm sorry we didn't have the date you thougth we'd have. Merry Christmas."

Barry leaned in, and Kendrick closed his eyes expecting a kiss, but Barry pecked a light kiss on his cheek instead, while flashing out the USB drive while he was distracted. He dabbed the dust on his neck too, watching as the glitter dissolve in the air. 

"Merry Christmas Flash."

Barry grinned, and then put back the cowl and flashed back to his friend.

Len was waking up as he tried to sit up and everybody was watching him in half worry and half curiosity. 

"Ugh. My head hurts like someone hit me with a pan. What happened?"

"You wouldn't believe if we told you." Joe said, and everybody smiled. Len looked at Barry. 

"Are you okay?" Barry asked, and Len blinked and looked at Barry with a smile. 

"Yeah. I think.. I think I wanted that 30 minute miracle with you Scarlet."

Len looked around. The tree was broken in half, half the plaza was covered in ice and fire, there were still leftover fireworks fizzing randomly in the air. 

".. I guess I don't get that date with you after all."

"Well, there's still five minutes left till midnight."

Barry said, holding out his hand to Len. 

"And you have no idea what miracle this year's Christmas eve was."

Len grinned. And he took Barry's hand. 

"Won't Cold be jealous?" Len said, as they walked to the half broken ice rink where couples still brave enough to stay were skating. 

"He might be. When the time comes." Barry said, smiling. 

"Sorry my suit got messed up. I wanted.. I wanted to look nice for you."

Len said, as he shrugged out of the parka and he was standing there in his suit, half burnt and half fizzled. Barry smiled because though he did look ridiculous, he still looked so handsome, so beautiful, everything Barry loved. 

"You have no idea."

Barry said. And they had their 30 minute Christmas after all.


	51. Merry Christmas Scarlet

When the dance on the ice rink stopped, and the tree was safely burning alone in the middle of the plaza, snow started falling down again and Barry was laughing, everything felt so good. 

That's why Barry realized a heartbeat late, that Len was smiling at him, his blue eyes so beautifully shining in the light and a soft smile on his lips. It made Barry's heart skip a beat, and he stared. 

Barry knew he had to stop staring, god Len would find that odd, he was definitely staring, he could feel his cheek flush with heat and his heart hammering like a thousand drums and at the same time stopped in a frozen time. Say something. 

Laugh at something. Make a joke. Say anything.   
Stop looking like you can't take your eyes off him.   
But Barry couldn't. 

Len looked so much like his original self more than ever, it was so easy to see him as his real Len, except the absence of the greying color in the tip of the hair or the little lines around his eyes when he grinned. 

It would be just so easy for him to pretend that his actual boyfriend was here with him now, looking into his eyes and holding his hands like he was the most important person in the world. But it was so close, he got too close, if it weren't for the Trickster current Len would have found out his secret and everything would crumble around him. 

Young Len was holding Barry's arms and he was looking at Barry with this look on his face. 

That made Barry's heart stop. 

Barry wished the snow falling in the sky would stop. 

He wished the look on Len's face would stop. 

He wished the moment to stop   
and never ever move. 

But even the speedster couldn't hold time forever and the snow kept falling, and a flake landed on tip of Barry's nose.   
Len laughed, and brushed it away, his hand lingering on Barry's cheek. 

He looked so handsome, so young, so hopeful, his cheek flushed with cold and his eyes shining bluish gold in the streetlamp, and he smiled at Barry. 

"Merry Christmas Scarlet."

Len said. 

And that's when Barry knew he was done. 

 

 

 

 

Cisco was having unusual experience these days. 

When he saw Len enter the Starlabs, his friend who was talking with him a second earlier disappeared, leaving two hot cocoa mug in his hands and looking like a lunatic talking to a wall. 

When it happened again, and again for the full week, with other people staring at the wall or looking stupid with their mouths open in the mid sentence, Cisco decided it was not an accident. 

He was pretty sure that it was his speedster friend's fault. 

Len was stepping into the Cortex when he was in the heated debate with Barry. 

"For the record the episode was legendary and I swear to God if you disappear on me once again Barry I'll-"

Cisco said, but he knew he lost before he even got to the end of the sentence. A spark of lightning and red zipped past him and Len out of the Cortex. Iris and Lisa were giving him sympathetic looks and Len raised his eyebrow at the fuming scientist. 

"Lost him again?" Len said, and Cisco huffed. 

"I can't believe how cool you are being right now." Cisco said, when Hartley came to stand next to him. 

"Me?" Len asked, and Hartley nodded. 

"I thought you'd react more than this. Given your... record."

"Oh, I know when to keep my head cool and deal with the situation more reasonably." Len said, turning on the stove and putting pot filled with water on it. 

Then a loud yelp echoed on the hall. Everybody froze. 

"What was that?"

Joe said. 

"Oh, that may be the wire trap I installed in the hall." Len answered, casually. 

"What?"

Cisco blinked, and they all looked up at the screens monitoring the hall. Barry was stumbling in the web of numerous sparking wires in the hall, flapping like a fish caught in a net. 

"Of course, I know Barry as being a speedster, can easily fish out of there," Len said, as he opened cabinets looking for tea.

As he said the speedster on the screen finally managed to climb out of the wires and tried to flash away, this time trapped i the invisible magnetic wall that seemed to grab him in midair. 

"- So I installed additional supermagnet trap on the wall."

Len found the tea he was looking for, grabbed two cups on the shelf and turned off the gas stove. 

The speedster was trying to scramble away from the invisible trap, looking up at the CCTV helplessly and was shouting something too fast for his friends to understand, 

"- and yes the only way for him to get out of that trap is to strip off that Flash suit."

Len continued, putting the tea bag into each of the mug and pouring boiling water into them. 

"And I've cleared all the emergency clothing for him to wear except for-"

A flash of lightning filled the Cortex and the next thing they knew Barry in his boxers was standing in front of Cisco and Len, hugging himself and his voice pitched high with indignation. 

"How can you do that?!"

"... Here." Len finished, his smile so evident it was pointless to hide. 

"I made you tea."

Len said, holding out another cup of tea that he just made. The speedster looked at it, and then at Len, and then at the cup, and then at Len again. 

"You made me- What? You trapped me! You set traps for me and I'm in my boxers!" Barry yelled, increduloused.

"Yes, and though I do like what I see, there are clothes for you to wear in the box under the sofa."

Len said, and as soon as he said those words the speedster flashed to the couch. 

When Barry was dressed in red hoodie and jeans, Len was right in front of him. Everybody in the room including Cisco thought maybe Len was a closet speedster too, because god how could he got there so fast? 

"Oh, and if you are planning to run away from me again Scarlet, I'll let you know that I've planted three hundred other little traps in the building that you might find not so easy to get away this time." Len said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

"You did what?"

"The Frozen horror."

Hartley whispered, and everybody remembered how little Len and Lisa terrorized Hartley with their evil plans when the scientist antagonized the little Snarts with Barry. 

Len blew his steaming tea. 

"I know you've been avoiding me for the last week, Scarlet. And I won't have it anymore."

"I haven't- I haven't been-"

Len raised his eyebrow pointedly and Barry breathed in, and then puffed out like a balloon. 

"... Okay, I'm sorry." Barry said, and Len sipped his tea in victory. 

"I have been dodging you because-"

"You've been me because you're afraid what I'll say." Len said, and Barry blinked. 

Len shrugged. 

"You know how I feel about you and you're afraid that if I get between you and your Cold, your timeline with your boyfriend would be messed up and you'll lose him."

Barry opened his mouth, but he couldn't find his words. 

Len put down his cup and looked at Barry, smiling softly. 

"I know how you care about him, Scarlet. I know how you don't want to jeopardize your timeline with Cold. So I won't say the words unless you want me to. As long as you know how I feel."

Len said, and it was all Barry could do to nod and not burst out. 

"Thank you." He managed to say, and Len grinned and opened his arms, and Barry rushed into them. Len hugged him tightly in his arms and when did the little kid grow so big to hold him like this? 

"Aww, how can he be so sweet and so terrifying at the same time?"

Hartley whispered, and Caitlin shook her head, smiling. Then suddenly a loud siren burst through the Cortex. 

"What? What is it?"

Cisco looked at Len, and Len shrugged, still holding Barry. 

"I didn't do it. I only set trap for speedster getting out of the building."

"Then who's trying to get into the building?" Lisa said, and everybody watched as the shockwave that shook the building suddenly stopped, and a footstep echoed in the hall. 

Barry stepped forward, ready to flash into fight if necessary, when a familiar face stepped into the hall. 

"..... Quaker?"

Barry said, and the woman smiled weakly at Barry. 

"Hi, Flash."

Then she collapsed.


	52. Quaker comes bearing warning

"Eiling has been up to something. Something bad. Something horrible."

Quaker, Tina Eldin as she gave her name, said as she held her hot cocoa cup. She was covered in warm blanket when she woke up, IV lingers still strapped to her wrists. 

"You've disappeared after the mall incident."

Barry said, watching the girl in her Starlabs hoodie and trousers. She looked much younger now that she was out of soldier uniform and tightly bunned hair. She looked no older than 20, her big eyes haunted but determined. 

"Yes, I got out of there thanks to you. I escaped from the rest of Eiling's soldiers and was able to meet my mom, and I moved her to aunt's, somewhere Eiling wouldn't look. I thought about disappearing all together for a while, then I remembered this."

Tina said as she opened her palm. They looked where a black mark resembling two clovers merged into one imprinted on her hand. 

"What's that?"

Lisa asked, and Tina pulled out a metal cylindar from her pocket. 

"This is biometrics security code that Eiling had marked his meta experiment subjects."

She said, clicking the pointer and pale blue light shone from the tip of the cylindar. 

"Wait wait wait,"

Cisco and Hartley ran to grab their gears from the lab and rushed back, as blue hologram appeared on Tina's palm showing indecipherable codes and numbers. 

"It's code to get into his most visited and higly guarded security building, where he keeps his most valued experiments." 

Tina said, her face turning pale. 

"I was there."

Her hands shook and Barry held her other hand. The Quaker breathed out, squeezed his hand back and smiled weakly. 

"Where is it?"

Hartley asked, and Tina took a deep breath, and talked. 

"It's a huge underground facility. He keeps metas there by grades, and the more powerful and dangerous they are, the deeper level they are locked. I was at fourth basement, as it was designated for metas that could create massive wide destruction. My power is creating earthquake, so I was kept there."

Everyone was silent. They knew what Eiling did to the metas there, captured metas that were being experimented on and tortured to bend to his will, and Barry almost got a taste of it himself. 

"What did you see there?"

Barry asked, and Tina shuddered. 

"There are monsters there, Flash. Not just the ones Eiling turned metas into, but the ones he created."

Cisco blinked. 

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying there are basement levels where no meta has gone and survived to tell the tales. There are levels where only my friends were dragged into, but never came out. The ground where a howl of a beast shuddered the entire building and even the scientists and soldiers there stopped dead and looked around in fear when its scream shook the building. I'm saying a monster beyond comprehension that is being created, of which even Eiling's subordinates whisper in fear."

Everyone was silent and looking at Quaker. Barry automatically looked at Len, and Len was looking back at Barry.  
Tina shuddered, her breath cold in the air. 

"And I think the General is planning to loose it on Central City."


	53. The infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second post of today! Hope you don't miss the previous chapter. xD  
> I'm just trying really hard to see the end of the story and just hope I could succeed. Merry Christmas Eve to everyone<3333

"What do you think that big scary monster is?"

Hartley said, as he ate chocolate popcorn on the desk. 

"That's what we're here to find out."

Len's voice ran throught the communicator. 

"You're watching the feeds, right?"

Lisa said and Cisco quickly came to the monitor. 

"Don't worry. I'm watching over him."

Cisco said, taking the popcorn bucket away from him. Hartley raised his hands. 

"Hey, I don't need watching over, I know what I'm doing."

Cisco raised his eyebrows at the indignant scientist in front of the computers.

"You're eating popcorn. While our friends are infiltrating one of the most dangerous facilities in the Central City. To find a deadly scary monster. Without any reliable backup or a solid plan."

"Hey, I am a reliable backup for Barry here."

Joe said in the communicator. 

"Yes, and HEY, I planned this, it's solid."

Len said, also in the communicator. Cisco exchanged looks with Harltey. 

"And I know you're looking at each other right now, so stop doing that and make sure you guys in front of the computers have Barry's back and don't mess up."

Joe said, and Hartley laughed. 

"Roger that. "

Cisco looked at the four red dots glowing on the screen. 

"Protective parent and boyfriend, right?"

Cisco said, after he made sure the comm was off. 

Hartley shrugged, grinning. 

 

 

 

".. So this night looks pleasant."

Len said, they were dressed in black from head to toe, looking definition of the night burglar. Barry was in black too, to which he felt Len's eyes over him appreciatively. 

He tried not to think too much about it. 

"The distraction should be there in-"

Len said, looking into his watch and then a loud boom echoed through the front gate of the building. Sounds of shouts and sirens wailed through the air, and for a split second the soldiers guarding the back entrance got distracted, Barry flashed Tina with to the back door, pressing her palm on the door lock. Before it even made a little 'beep' noise authorizing entrance, Barry was back with the Snarts and he flashed each of them into the opened door within a second. 

When the guards turned back their heads to the door, it was like nothing happened. 

"... Yes, you got through safely."

Cisco said, while Hartley fixed the security feed on the doors so that guards watching the CCTV monitors would not notice four people entering the building. 

"Did Iris and Caitlin got out okay?"

Barry asked throught the comm and Cisco nodded. 

"They escaped through the route Len planned out, they'll be back here in 15 minutes."

Cisco said, 

"Though I gotta admit they seemed a little too excited to be the distraction squad to the most scary building in the city. 

Hartley got cold feet when Len suggested he do it."

"Hey, I know what I'm good at and the girls were already volunteering."

Hartley said, and then shuddered. 

"And those are some scary girls."

"You got that right."

Iris's voice came through the comm and Barry grinned, meeting eyes with Len. 

"Iris, glad to hear your voice."

Barry, be careful down there. 

"Don't worry. Barry said. I got three friends here to protect me."

Len dismantled the security codes on the wall, cutting through doors like hot knife slicing through butter and Barry had to give it to him, even young Leonard Snart was very good at his job. 

Lisa and Quaker handled the occasional unfortunate soldiers who bumped into them, and before they could even reach for their guns or shout for alarm the soldiers fell down, thanks to Caitlin's super effective sleep inducer. Though Barry flinched when the bodies of unconscious soldiers kept piling up, and both Lisa and Tina looked super giddy doing it. Girls were scary everywhere. 

"There."

Len said, finishing taking apart the especially tricky-looking security system on the door. He opened the door for Barry and when he stepped inside, it was stairs lit with pale green light. 

"Now you're in the emergency staircase that goes down to basement level 5. You're on basement level 2 now, and judging by the distance your tracker is giving us, the stairs seem to be quite long. There are no guards inside the stairs so you should just climb down."

Hartley said through the comm and they all followed. Barry looked down at the staircase as they descended, it was like walking down Alice's rabbit hole, especially with the gruesome green light flickering above them. 

Tina was leading the way, as they descended deeper and deeper into the building. When they got close to the doors in the stairs, they could sometimes hear screaming or loud sounds of something breaking. 

".. We should come back here to stop all these."

Barry said, as he turned his head he saw Tina's face was white as a paper. 

"We should, as soon as we discover what Eiling is up to and stop him."

Len nodded, grabbing Barry's shoulder for a brief moment and letting go. Barry immediately missed the warmth, it was unusually cold down here and the screams and shouts were making his hair stand on end. 

They were at basement level 4 when they first heard it. The howl came like the sound of an oncoming train, first rattling the handrails and then shuddering the entire building. The monstrous sound that threatened to burst their eardrums kept getting louder until they all had to hunch down covering their ears in pain. It lasted for a full minute before it finally died down, and when Barry stood back up his legs were shaking. 

"That was...?"

Barry said, looking back at Tina and the Quaker was nodding weakly, still not able to stand on his feet again. 

"That's not a sound that a monster makes, that's freaking dinosaur or a dragon."

Hartley said, and even though they heard it only through the comm, the sound threw ice-cold chill down their spines, making them shudder. 

"You three should head back." Barry said, turning to Len and others. 

"No way." Lisa said, putting her feet down and glaring at him. Len looked not impressed next to her sister. 

"I can escape in a second if something goes wrong, but I can't carry all of you at once when something happens."

Barry said, but Lisa shook her head. 

"If you even think about ditching us to go find that freaking dragon- monster or whatever hell that made that sound alone, you're crazy."

Lisa said, and Len nodded. 

"There's no Time Master to pick us away this time, so you have to deal with us." Len said. 

Len looked at Barry and Barry remembered young Len disappearing in golden light as the building crumbled around them, how young Len cried and begged not to be taken away, leaving Barry alone in the collapsing building. Len later told him how it devastated Len when he got back to his original timeline, and Barry couldn't have let Rip take them away now even if the Time Master miraculously decided to show up now. 

"... All right. But this is only a scout mission. We only record what's down that level and we get out, okay?"

Barry said, and Lisa grinned so sweetly. 

"Of course darling. We promise to stay out of trouble, right Lenny?"

"Of course."

Len said, grinning equally sweetly at Barry and the sight of two grown up Snarts smiling so innocently made the survival instinct of Barry was pounding 'warning alert' alarm button in his head like crazy. 

But as always, Barry was not invested in listening to his survival instinct. 

"Okay, let's go."

Barry said, and down the rabbit hole they went.


	54. What's at the bottom of the pit?

It was eerily cold down the basement. They stepped carefully down the stairs, and down and down they went. 

They had passed the level five basement about twelve minutes ago, and when Tina arrived at the level 5 basement, they saw stairs heading even deeper downstairs. 

They passed the level 6, then level 7, and when finally they stopped at the end of the stairs, the air was freezing and Barry was shivering in his spot. 

"Scarlet, here."

Len took off his parka and put it on Barry's shoulder. Len got so close, and when Len adjusted the clothes on him Barry could see his long eyelash. Barry didn't realize he had stopped breathing until Len looked up and smiled at him. He was beautiful, his Len, even twenty years younger than his Len and still stole Barry's breath away with the faintest smile on his lips and glint on his eyes. 

"Ugh, will you two just stop being cute for a minute? We're in Eiling's horror house and you two can't stay away from each other."

Lisa said, and Barry knew then Len's hands had been holding Barry's waist and was blushing when he stepped away, glaring at his sister. Barry had to bite his lips from grinning too hard, it was so weird and exciting to think that he could make Len blush, while it was always the other way around with his old Len. 

He would have said something too flirty to Len if a loud howl of the beast that made their hair stand on end ran through the stairs again. Barry looked around, meeting Tina's eyes and she nodded. 

"This is it."

She said, nodding at the door in front of them. They were at the bottom of the pit, the long stairs had ended and this was the last door. Barry looked at Len and Lisa, and they nodded too. Len stepped forward, disembling the final security system on the wall. 

It unlocked with a short 'beep', and the door slid open. Barry looked at the mouth of the darkness inside, and breathed, then flashed inside. 

He turned off all the security cameras first, and he put one of Cisco's gizmo on one of them. It sent signal to Starlabs, guiding the scientists in the Starlabs to hack into the feeds of the cameras. 

"There. Do you see?"

"What... the..."

Hartley's voice came through the comm and Barry knew why. Barry flashed back to Len and Lisa, who were looking around yet not realizing what the thing was before them. 

"What is this? It's just a heap of metal, it's--"

Lisa said, then there was a sound of avalanche, and then the mountain of metal turned over. 

"Holy-"

Lisa said, the rest of the words drowned out by the sound of the giant rattling his arm. The sound was deafening and the ground shook from just the force of it, and they were all thinking the same. What the hell was this thing?

"It's giant.. metal ... giant.. something."

Cisco said throught he comm, and he seemed lost for words. Barry could understand. He could not think of one calm plan in front of the gigantic mass in front of him, the mere presence of it was beyond comprehension and the thing was just simply too huge. 

He didn't have the faintest idea what they were going to do with this giant but it was lucky that the thing was sleeping now, or else this would have turned out very horribly. 

Barry looked around his friends just in case the giant woke up and he needed to flash them away from harm. There was no option of fighting here. They didn't bring proper firearms nor even if they did, it was plain as day that it would be hopeless. 

Then Barry saw Tina was staggering, her face too white and her breath too shallow. 

"Tina, are you okay?"

"This thing, oh my god... I didn't expect--"

"Scarlet,"

Len said and Barry turned his head. Len and Lisa were in front of the computers installed at the wall, both Snarts' face pale from the light on the screen. Barry knew from Len's expression that the paleness was not entirely because of the light. 

"...I think you should watch this."

Lisa was biting her lips, her face contorted with horror and anger. Len was scarily calm, but Barry knew that he was tense. 

Tina breathed and seemed to gather her strength and walked forward, and Barry followed her. 

The screen was small and protected with reinforced glass, possibly because of the sleeping mountain over there. Len had plugged USB drive that Cisco had given him so Barry knew his friends at the Starlabs were getting the feed too. 

It was hard to understand what the video was recording. It was filming a young meta in his 20s, who was bound both hands, and Eiling was in front of him, saying something but the rattling noise the giant made made it hard to hear what he was saying. 

But as Eiling and his soldiers stepped away, the handcuffs clicked loose and the meta tore it off, looking around suspiciously but then saw the exit and bolted. Eiling and his soldiers didn't even lift their fingers, until the exit was blocked by a mountain of rocks. The meta screamed, and the fight began. 

It seemed like the meta had power related to fire. As she clapped her hands a stream of fire surged upward hitting the giant explosively, yet as even the giant's metal body glowed bright from the heat, it seemed to have no problem to grab the meta and swing her across the room. 

"God-"

Tina sobbed, and Barry shut his eyes for a moment when the giant's fist finally crashed down on the meta's body. It made him sick, he felt like throwing up, but the feed wasn't over yet, there were other videos of other metas, each with different powers and each fighting bravely or desperately only to face the same fate. 

Barry didn't realize he was crying until Len's arms held his shoulder, and Len's young face looked like he wanted to cry too. 

"James and Patty, I knew them. They were dragged from their cells too and I never saw them again. I hoped they were moved to other level or they managed to escape but- but-" 

Tina was sobbing horribly. Lisa held her and gave her brother a nod and Len turned off the screen. 

"What are we going to do?"

Lisa said, her eyes never moving away from the sleeping figure of the metal mountain. She would not be taken with a surprise attack, she made sure of it. 

"We have to get back to Starlabs."

Len said, and everybody knew it was the right call, but the odorless smell of death and horror seemed to have captured them all. Barry looked at Len, and it made the spark of lightning spark back in his hands. 

"Okay."

Barry said, and after a quick flash-sweep through the basement, they left the room. Barry looked at last at the giant as they left the room, and its faceless head was facing right at him but it didn't move. 

They left the building and headed back to Starlabs.


	55. Come meet your fate, or watch your city's last

"Okay, so there are good news and bad news."

A very tired looking Cisco said, and everybody in the Starlabs fell silent. Tina had gone away, Eiling's men were tracking her mother and her relatives, so she decided to move them to someplace safer. Iris and Cisco gave her help finding a safe location, and Tina thanked them as she left. 

Now that she was gone, they were huddled in the Cortex after 16 hours of thorough experiments and tests on the small bits of the metal giant. 

Barry had to hand it to Cisco and Hartley and Caitlin, they looked like the living embodiment of exhausted zombies when they were done but they really put their work into it. 

"So the conclusion is, the composition of the giant is of very unusual metal."

Cisco said, and Lisa raised her eyebrow unimpressed. 

"We already know that. We just escaped that giant heap of homicial metal."

"Well, the component itself is really odd.. they consists of metal that can't be found in natural environment."

"What do you mean?"

Len asked, and Hartley stepped up. He tapped on the pad in his hand and a hologram showing various pictures appeared in the air. 

"See, these are what normal metal molecules look like. They are iron, copper, gold and palladium and lead. But when we looked into the molecules of the metal that Barry brought in--"

Hartley tapped the pad again and series of new pictures appeared next to the original ones. Everyone's eyes became larger. 

"What is that?"

Iris said, and Cisco nodded. 

"The new pictures you are seeing now are the molecules of the giant. As you see, they look like-"

"Mutants."

Joe said, and Cisco tilted his head. 

"Yes, and to be put more exactly, their sudden change to new-found form is more likely similar to that of-" 

"Meta's."

Len said, and Cisco nodded. 

"Oh god."

Iris suddenly said, and everybody looked at her. 

"Are you saying.. Are you saying that is really human? That giant?"

Everyone looked back at Ciscos. Caitlin nodded. 

"We went through the data of the computer that Barry sent from the facility. There were records of experiments, among which was about the reinforced metahuman soldiers and there was this record of one meta who could combine himself with metal."

Caitlin said. 

"But he is huge. have you seen that feed from the basement? It took up almost all the space in that basement and the place was size of half the baseball ground."

Lisa said, and Hartley nodded. 

"We couldn't believe it at first, but the scan we got from the data showed a merged form of normal human in the center of the metal giant. Its brainwave was very reduced, almost to nothing actually, and it seemed like sort of unique frequency of wavelength was given to make it obey orders."

Hartley said. 

"So what, he was once a meta human but now he's a giant metal golem the size of a building?"

Iris asked, and Hartley shrugged. 

"Basically, yes."

"It's actually fascinating, the way the metal kept changing its molecule and reinforced itself in solidness."

Caitlin said. 

"The piece of metal Barry's brought was obviously the infant one, still in initial stage of self-reinforcement, but as we watched the piece it became more solid than any other metals that composed it in the first place."

Caitlin said, as the hologram flipped through various images of molecule hardening itself through stages. 

"Now it's even harder than diamond."

Everyone were looking at Caitlin in horror. 

"So how are we going to fight a super huge metal golem that is solid than the hardest substance in the world?"

Lisa said, and Cisco opened his mouth, and closed it, and then opened it again, but no sound came out. 

"Uhhh...."

Cisco said, and then suddenly, an alarm went off on Cisco's pad.

"Wait, let me just turn this off--"

Then another went off in Hartley's pad. Then the whole lab started to light up. 

"What is going on?"

Barry said and Cisco was looking at the monitors horrified. 

"I think the answer to Lisa's question, we're about to find out."

Cisco said, and Barry and Len looked at the screen that was currently showing a news channel with a frightened looking reporter standing in front of the Central coast. 

Behind the reporter there was a unseen pillars standing in the middle of the sea. 

It took a while for Barry and the others to understnad what those towers were. 

"Is that...?"

Hartley said, and Len nodded. 

"Oh my god."

Caitlin said, and everybody looked at the pillars- now the legs of the giant standing in the sea. 

The giant was facing Central City, its red eyes gleaming and its hands clenching into fists like a mountain. In front of that giant beast the city looked like little Lego buildings that children built, helpless against the oncoming destruction. 

Then the camera focused closer, and they saw a person standing on the shoulder of the giant. 

When the man spotted the camera on the chopper, he grinned. It was Eiling. 

"Flash, meet my final masterpiece, the Gitantese."

"Very original."

Cisco muttered, but his face was drained of blood. 

"Now come meet your fate, or watch your city's last."


	56. You realized what you have to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second post of me today, don't miss chapter 55!   
> thanks for reading as always xD lots and lots of love!!!

The wind was sharp and cool. Len and Ciscos arrived at the Central Coast, facing the giant in the flesh and the mere sight of the gigantic figure gave chills to their bones. 

"How can something be that big?"

Hartley said, and Len had to agree. The giant when they saw in the basement was huge enough, but it was nothing compared to seeing it in the open, shadowing the beach and the building along the shore and making the water of the sea look like water in the bath tub. 

The two enormous legs soar up into the sky, and the arms of the Gigantese looked like they were ready to pull out skyscrapers like weeds. Len had no doubt the giant will have no problem of actually doing it, and he shuddered to think what would happen if it decided to just run through the city like a loose bull in the field. 

Barry and Joe and Iris were back at the city, helping mayor evacuate citizens from the city. Every road was jammed with cars and people, and many of them abandoned their cars in the unmoving traffic and decided to run. 

The uproar of the city was being broadcasted through the news and the police and firemen were doing their best to calm the panicked people and make them move out from the city in order, but screams and shouts were everywhere and it was only a matter of time before mayhem broke loose and everything got out of control.

Barry dropped Joe and Iris to the police station where Captain Singh was dividing teams in order to help the evacuation. 

The captain nodded when he met Flash's eyes, but he looked worried, Barry saw the giant TV screen broadcasting the coastal view and he shared the feeling. Singh didn't ask the Flash how he was going to beat it, and Barry was grateful for it because he wouldn't have known how to answer. 

Instead Singh gave a nod, his eyes never wavering from the Flash. 

"We'll do our best to evacuate people and stall the beast out there."

Singh said, and other cops who were busy leaving the station to do their duty stopped and looked at the Flash too. 

"Good luck to you, Flash."

Singh said, his eyes were afraid but there was more courage than fear in there, more determination than doubt and Barry admired it. Barry nodded, seeing the equal looks on other cop's faces and he felt his fist tighten. 

"You too, Captain."

Barry said, and then he sped off to the shore. 

"Everyone okay?"

Barry said when he arrived next to Len and Caitlin, and Cisco nodded. 

"Yeah, the Gigantese hasn't made a move yet, he didn't move at all. Yet. How's the evacuation?"

"People are hurrying and it's not good. The police and fire department are doing their best but it's impossible to evacuate all people, it will be too late."

Barry said, as he watched the giant suddenly looked around the water, and took a step back. 

"What is it doing?"

Hartley said, and the giant shrugged. Barry was watching the movement, but he had no idea what it was doing either. The giant's hand reached down, splashing the water and it dug down, like it was searching for something. The wave that the splash caused made a giant wall of water, heading straight to the shore and threatening to climb the hills. Then the giant raised its hand, and a stone the size of a small house was in its palm. 

"What is it-"

Cisco said, but it moved a lot faster than any of them thought possible. For slow moving creature, the giant took a swing at the building on the shore and the rock shot through the air like a pistol, crashing into it. Before Lisa and Ciscos could scream watching it, Barry was already on the move even before the rock reached the mark, racing in the speed of sound to head to the targeted building. 

When he arrived at the building everything was standing still like Barry was in a picture, the rock shooting across the sky heading toward the city was hanging in midair like a cruel looking comet and the face of the people in the building looking out the window were yet to fully understand what was about to happen. 

Everything was stopped in a milisecond in the view of the speedster. 

Barry sped past the standing firefighters and policemen and bystanders who were fixed on the spot. He flashed through the building, combed through each floor and brought out two people at a time. 

He was stretching time like he had never before, and every fiber of his muscle felt like he was on fire, speedforce screaming through his veins and Barry kept running. He could feel the pull of time like gravity pulling toward the fall, and he grit his teeth and shook off its greedy palms. Barry grabbed the last two people on the top floor who were two young woman and crashed through the building, there was no time for running down the stairs anymore and he sped down the wall of the building. 

As he reached the bottom of the building and stepped on land, he could feel the howl of the delayed time screaming back and the comet of rock shuttered through the building. 

The impact of the hit was earth-shattering and its shock made Barry stagger on the spot, the invisible force hitting him hard in the back and he embraced the two people in his arms and sped through. Then everything collapsed together, the sound and shock wave and the building were all crashing down, people suddenly moving again and a police nearby grabbed Barry and the women to escape from the falling debris. 

The building came down with a howl and a giant cloud of dust and remains came, and when it stopped Barry could finally raise his head and look around. 

"Are you okay?"

Barry said to two women in his arms and they looked shaken but they managed to nod. Barry looked at the policeman who grabbed him and nodded to him gratefully. 

"Thank you."

Barry said, and the officer nodded.

"You saved all these people Flash, it's us who have to thank you."

People who were standing around the building were now looking around bewildered as a group of people who weren't there a second ago was now among them. Many of the new-comers shuddered to realize what had just happened and police who were already used to Flash's work were already moving fast to help them follow evacuation. 

Barry stood up, looking up at the mountain of rubble that was a building a moment ago. It was just one swing, and the destruction was catastrophic. He couldn't just run around like crazy lightning if the Gigantese decided to speed things up, he wouldn't be able to reach all the people in time, he won't be so lucky the next time. 

He had to face the Gigantese, and stop the giant from the start. 

The policeman saw the look on Barry's face, and he nodded. 

"You realized what you have to do?"

The man asked, and Barry nodded. 

"Yes."

Barry said. He looked at the shore where the Gigantese's enormous form stood like a pillar between the sky and the sea. 

There were people in this city. These were people he cared, people he had to protect. There were Joe and Iris and Captain Singh among them who were trying to help people, and at the face of the giant, there stood Len, Lisa, Cisco, Hartley and Caitlin, his friends who were determined to stand between the city and the giant. 

Barry clenched his fist. Raw power of the speedforce sparking like live electricity in his veins. 

"I'm going to knock it down."

Barry said, and he flashed forward.


	57. Give me a number, Cisco

Eiling had let loose all the meta experiments on the city. Some of them fled the scene as soon as they touched the ground, others began bringing havoc and mayhem on the streets. Oliver and Felicity and Sara, along with Malcolm and Atom had all arrived at the city, helping team Flash protect civilians and stop the giant from destroying the city. 

"I got eyes on the flying swordsmen!"

Sara said through the communicator, as the Green Arrow shot four multiplying villains at a time and preventing them from attacking a group of fleeing civilians. 

"Gotcha!"

Malcolm said as he threw over two metas who were using their powers to set fire on the street and at the same time Atom neutered a dozen soldiers of Eeiling's in an blink of an eye. 

Barry flashed past them, catching bullets heading toward cops who were protecting civilians and tying down mobs who were attacking the refugees. 

"How are we doing?"

Sara said, and Felicity's voice chirped through the comm like a light in the storm. 

"You guys are doing great! Sara, turn left at the next corner and two blocks ahead there are three metas trying to get to a family in the van."

"Got it."

Sara's voice rang through the comm as Felicity gave another series of orders to Atom and Oliver, to which they replied with a swift 'Roger that' or a grunt. 

Barry ran as he listened to his friend's voice and sped forward, zipping through 30 more blocks and made a sharp turn at the last corner, facing with the full view of the beach. 

Rays of gold and sound wave and ice were shooting across the sky, along with heavy firearms. The force of the attack was strong enough to hold down army but it was not enough to stop the giant. The giant took every attacks squarely in the front but it didn't stop or slow down in stirring the water and picking up yet another huge rock the size of a small building. 

"Why won't it stop?"

Lisa shouted as the giant raised his hand ready to throw the rock at the city again. Barry braced himself for another mad race to the targeted building but then Len shouted. 

"There's another one!"

And in their horror, Barry and his friends saw as the giant's other hand pulled up another rock from the ocean. It drew back its both arms, ready to throw both rocks at the same time. Barry wanted to scream. He couldn't make it to both places at the same time, he managed to handle one giant-thrown comet barely and this time he might actually run out of time. 

Then Len shouted. 

"Its the wrist! Everybody Target the wrist joint together! Caitlin, attack from the right side of its hand and I'll cut from his left."

Caitlin whose hair was getting whiter by seconds flinched and looked around, then met Len's eyes and nodded. Lisa and Harltey followed Len's orders too as two rays of cold ice shot through the air to the giant's right wrist. 

The giant screamed, and tried to avoid the cold rays by swinging its hand but it was a wrong move for the giant. The Gigantese's wrist made a loud 'crack' sound and its metal joint slipped, at which Len quickly shouted, 

"The middle and fourth finger. They're the weakest link, focus on them!"

The giant howled in fury and tried to swing the rock anyway but its two fingers slipped through the thin ice that Len and Caitlin had shot around the rock. The giant tried to grab hold of the rock but the slippery rock slid through its fingers and fell to the sea. 

"Yes!!"

Cisco and Harlteys shouted as the giant howled in anger and dropped the other rock to the ocean as well. 

"Well done Len!"

Cisco said as he turned around to see Len proudly but Len wasn't paying attention to his victory. He was looking at the Gigantese and so was Barry. 

The little crack that they managed to make a dent in was recovering as they watched. The metal particles around the dent seemed to grow like scales and covered the injured part, erasing the small gap of their chance and looking stronger than it was seconds before. 

Everybody watched in horror as the giant's hand looked thicker and harder than it was even before. 

"How are we going to fight that?"

The giant pulled out another rock from the bottom of the sea, this time the size of the rock was half the giant's arms, and the shadow it cast swallowed half the shore. 

"Oh god."

Barry watched as the giant raised the little mountain and got ready to throw it to the city. This time no matter how fast Barry ran, he knew it wouldn't matter because he couldn't evacuate the whole city in a second even if he tried. Their whole firearm of power barely made a dent on the metal flesh of the giant and they still couldn't break it. It was wall made of world's hardest substance and there was no way they could fight that monster. 

Except- 

Len saw the look on Barry's face before anyone could see it. Len tried to reach out his hand, grab Barry before he could do something stupid, something really stupid- 

"Cisco, how far do I have to run to make an impact on that giant with supersonic punch?"

Barry said, stepping backward away from Len and his friends. Len was looking at him with that face again, the one that Barry had put when he made Rip take Len away from dying Barry on the crashing mall, the look when he believed he was going to leave Barry dying alone in the future, but Barry couldn't let himself be caught by Len. 

"Barry?"

Cisco said, his words yet not understanding what his friend just said and then the word caught meaning in his head as Cisco looked at his friend in increduloused realization. 

"You can't."

"How far do I have to go?"

Barry said again, and Len was looking at him, god Len looked so angry but he looked scared too, and it made what Barry was about to do even harder than it possibly could be. 

"Give me a number, Cisco."

Barry said, his voice sounded surprisingly calm but demanding even to his ears and he heard Cisco's sharp intake of breath. 

"You have to run around the Earth 34 times to make a possible impact on that thing. But Barry, you know how dangerous that is, the last time you did supersonic punch even for a mile almost ripped your body apart, this is totally another level-" 

"I can do it. I have to do it."

"Scarlet, no, please."

Len said, and his face looked so young and old at the same time, it remind Barry of both his boyfriend's young and old faces. They were different but so same, in how he loved them and how he would risk everything to protect them. 

Len's outstretched hand faltered in the air as Barry took another step back. 

Everything seemed to have stopped for a moment. 

And then a spark erupted in Barry's veins, and Barry ran.


End file.
